The ACC will be the No. 1 football conference in the country for the 21st century.
Although this claim would certainly not be made without the inclusion of Miami and Virginia Tech, the futures of the N.C. State, Virginia and Maryland squads are the biggest reasons for the ACC's luminous future.
All three transformed themselves into top 25 mainstays in two key ways: Hiring an alum as the coach and making drastic recruiting improvements.
At Virginia, Al Groh left his job as head coach of the New York Jets to guide his alma mater, and has done much with his opportunity. UVa started slowly under Groh, going 5-7 in his first season in 2001 and beginning last year 0-2. But as his recruits blossomed, the Cavaliers went on to a 9-5 record and an upset win over No. 15 West Virginia in the Continental Tire Bowl. To make things even better for Virginia, many of last year's contributors were freshmen: first-year (as the Wahoos refer to their freshmen) Heath Miller led the ACC in tight end receptions, fellow rookie Wali Lundy was the only player to crack the ACC's top ten in both rushing and receiving yards, and Darryl Blackstock was National Freshman Defensive Player of the Year. Groh did not stop with the class of 2006, either, as prized recruit Ahmad Brooks is considered the No. 1 freshman linebacker to play this season.
The teams that recruit well every year become perennial top 25 teams. Every three or four years an average team's players are bound to mesh into a contender, but Virginia is planning to compete on the national level every year.
Chuck Amato's story at N.C. State is even more impressive. Amato left his assistant's job at Florida State to take the reigns of his alma mater, and has led the Wolfpack to a bowl game every season, including a win over Notre Dame in the Gator Bowl last season. Amato has surrounded his Heisman-candidate quarterback Phillip Rivers with solid players through stellar recruiting classes. Last season freshman T.A. McClendon set an ACC freshman rushing touchdowns record, and this year's class has been rated in the top ten by several recruiting publications.
At Maryland, alum Ralph Friedgen led the Terps from losing season to ACC champs in his first year as coach in 2001. Last year, despite injuries to key players, the Terps defeated Tennessee 30-3 in the Peach Bowl. Maryland's success looks to be long term, as it is ranked No. 15 this preseason and is funneling in top recruits faster than Friedgen does donuts.
In addition to Virginia, Maryland and N.C. State, the next tier of teams has the capacity to be competitive. Former Dallas Cowboys coach Chan Gailey leads Georgia Tech, and Clemson and Wake Forest went to bowl games last season. The only teams that have ominous futures are Duke and UNC, but both schools have shown commitments to improvement. Florida State looks to have another season ranked between the No. 10 and No. 20 slots instead of its usual top five position, but the Seminoles' reputation and history leave little doubt that they will be a prominent force for years to come.
Adding to these rising programs are the super-powers Miami and Virginia Tech. While those two clearly will be the ACC's only chances at a national championship in the near future, it is the constantly improving lesser programs that will lead to a dominant future for the ACC.
This is not to say the Big 10, SEC, PAC-10 and Big 12 will compete for the distinction as the nation's best. But the programs at UVa, Maryland and N.C. State will make the best second tier in any conference in the country and, based on their improvement, may eventually become part of the pantheon of college football.
But the distinction as No. 1 conference in America is not a goal that needs to be set for the future. If Virginia Tech and Miami started ACC play now as opposed to next season, the ACC would have two more preseason AP top 25 teams than any other conference in the country This assessment does not include the expected 12th team to be added to the conference, a team expected to also be a football power (Notre Dame? Florida?).
The future is impossible to predict, and setbacks such as NCAA probations are not unimaginable. But the ACC, known far more for its basketball, has put itself in the best position possible to dominate the nation's most popular sport.
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