ACC Expansion talks again

[cityboi]

ACC Offers Boston College League Membership

Web Producer: Ryan Buckley

Modified: 10/12/2003 12:35:30 PM Send this story to a friend

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Greensboro

The Atlantic Coast Conference's presidents and chancellors voted Sunday to invite Boston College to join the league as its 12th member.

If the school accepts, the ACC would have enough members to stage a lucrative league championship football game.

"Now that the vote has been taken, we look forward to a strong academic partnership and collaboration should Boston College accept," North Carolina State chancellor Marye Anne Fox told The Associated Press on Sunday.

Boston College athletic director Gene DeFilippo would only say Sunday morning that he had "no confirmation" of the offer.

An ACC spokesman said the league had scheduled a news conference later Sunday where Commissioner John Swofford was expected to formally announce the offer to Boston College.

Miami and Virginia Tech were added to the nine-team conference in June and will begin play in 2004.

Boston College and Syracuse were the Big East schools in the ACC's original expansion plans, but were voted down in favor of adding the Hurricanes and Hokies.

ACC bylaws require campus visits of each school being considered for prospective membership. That requirement was satisfied before ACC presidents initially rejected Boston College for membership in June.

NCAA rules require that a conference have 12 schools to stage a league championship game.

At least seven of the nine current ACC member schools had to approve offering membership to Boston College. It was not immediately known Sunday how many voted in favor of expansion.

This summer, Boston College was rejected as an expansion candidate when the heads of Duke, North Carolina and N.C. State voted in opposition.

The other members of the ACC are Virginia, Maryland, Georgia Tech, Florida State, Wake Forest and Clemson.

[uptownliving]

nad Boston College accepts, what do ya know.

[Guest donaltopablo]

Personally I think they should have either go full force with accepting ACC members in the northeast, or simply keep it in the southeast. I can't say I like the fact that all of the ACC members are in the SE. except this one.

[Brickhead]

I don't think this was a very good choice for the ACC. I agree with Paul; there will be 11 schools in the southeast with much in common, and one school in New England that has almost nothing in common with the others. This isn't about athletics, it's about money.

[uptownliving]

They all have this in common: They are all in States that are part of the Atlantic Coast...hence the name ACC.

[Guest donaltopablo]

This isn't about athletics, it's about money.

I agree it's about money, but it still strikes me a little odd. Here is why:

1. It is about money, but having a school that far from the other schools greatly increases travel cost, and makes things most difficult.

2. They could still accomplish the big money maker, i.e. 12 teams, but grabbing a school in the SE to join the conference. Either by grabbing BC there is some political value, or prehaps BC has some hidden national appeal I'm not aware of.

They all have this in common: They are all in States that are part of the Atlantic Coast...hence the name ACC.

That is true. But I think they are straying from keeping geograpigcally similar schools. There are advantages to this, such as building a solid regional fan base for TV viewership. They may all be on the Atlantic Coast, but that doesn't mean it is still a good fit.

I wish they would have gotten Louisville or a strong, upcoming school to be the 12th team.