ACC Commissioner John Swofford during yesterday's football media days in Pinehurst, N.C., said that the conference "has no intention on inserting itself with off-field issues" for its member schools, according to Safid Deen of the TALLAHASSEE DEMOCRAT. Swofford said, "We as a conference are not trying to be big brother in that aspect." School presidents and ADs have echoed the "same wishes" (TALLAHASSEE DEMOCRAT, 7/21). ESPN.com's Hale & Adelson noted Swofford is "comfortable with how each ACC school is prepared to handle" any off-field issues. Swofford: "There's a concurrent belief it should remain the purview of the institution. They don't see the necessity of putting in a conference rule regarding it at this point in time" (ESPN.com, 7/20). In Atlanta, Jeff Schultz wrote the conference "might want to consider opening its eyes and widening its views on some things." Swofford's comments came "despite the backdrop of two incidents of alleged domestic violence against women by Florida State football players" (AJC.com, 7/20). Meanwhile, FSU President John Thrasher said of FSU AD Stan Wilcox, "Stan is a very, very competent athletic director. He is, I can assure you and tell you from just traveling around the few times, a couple of the NCAA meetings, I’ve been to a couple ACC president’s meetings, he is highly respected as an athletic director. He is well thought of from his time at Notre Dame and at Duke before he came here. I think he is a very competent guy. I rely on him a lot and I have confidence in him" (TALLAHASSEE DEMOCRAT, 7/18).
GET WITH THE TIMES: In Raleigh, Luke DeCock noted the NCAA last week "adopted an experimental rule allowing conferences to use a medical observer to monitor for injuries," but conference ADs on Sunday voted to "adopt a different protocol, with one member of the medical staff for each team in the press box, in communication not with the referee but his sideline." NC State AD Debbie Yow said, "This seems sufficient. It's a common-sense approach" (Raleigh NEWS & OBSERVER, 7/21). In Greensboro, Ed Hardin writes in the "modern age, the ACC might be the only league trying to play by the old rules and the old math." Those include academics "equal to athletics and both greater than money." Swofford "believes in the old ways, and his league clings to the old days when we saw colleges as universities, not football programs." Most of his schools "feel the same way." The ACC "is still the best league when it comes to balancing academics and athletics, but the earth is shifting underneath." Swofford is "really trying, but the disparity in revenue in the years to come will open that whole thing up again with the members jealous of the money going to SEC and Big Ten schools and the threats of secession and ransom that go with it" (Greensboro NEWS & RECORD, 7/21).
NETWORK CAN WAIT: Swofford yesterday indicated that "long-term TV contracts" affecting both the conference's TV status and the CFP "will prevent any immediate changes" with either. In North Carolina, Sammy Batten notes many ACC sports air "on the league's syndicated network," but talks around a 24-hour dedicated TV network "haven't gained traction." The ACC's current deal with ESPN runs through the '26-27 season and has had an "impact on moving forward with a channel." Swofford: "At some point, as we go through our analysis and discussions -- and we're very deliberate about that because it's an important long-term decision -- but together (with current TV partners) we'll make a joint decision about the best route to go for the future of our television. I think we have positioned ourselves extremely well as a league for future options, whatever those options may be" (FAYETTEVILLE OBSERVER, 7/21). In Greensboro, Powell Latimer wrote that is an "intentionally vague statement and could indicate that the ACC network’s creation has lost steam in recent years." There is "no firm outline or plan for the ACC to announce, or even develop, its own dedicated channel, and Swofford acknowledged as much" (GREENSBORO.com, 7/20).
