Taking a Stand Against Conference Expansion- In Defense of John Swofford
As a sports blogger, I love to talk about conference realignment. Why? Because it usually facilitates a lot of interesting discussion with our readers. BUT I HATE IT. It’s highly speculative, divisive and petty. It pits conference fans against one another, and leads to pointless name calling and trash talking. Like many others, I believe that conference realignment is ruining college athletics. It needs to stop. But as many sportswriters across the country publish that our conference is on the brink, I feel the need to clear up a few well-reported misconceptions. Love him, or hate him, John Swofford is the commissioner of the Atlantic Coast Conference. And unlike many, I believe that he’s the right man for the job. Below, I will set to defend him with facts based on history. If you don’t like what you read, remember that I am not responsible for your own school’s shortcomings and neither is the ACC. If Boise State has shown us anything, it’s that money and power aren’t always a precursor to success. It’s having the right people in place at the right time. John Swofford is the right man for the ACC.
Contrary to popular belief, John Swofford didn’t start realignment, the Southeastern Conference did.
The SEC was the first major conference to go to 12 teams, and then to 14. By doing this, they escalated the arms race, pursuing money, when tradition and fans were what really mattered. The ACC didn’t expand because we wanted to, we expanded because we had to. We did so with the best schools available, always fitting the athletic and academic profile of the conference, and always in a swift and efficient manner.
Contrary to popular belief, John Swofford doesn’t have some sort of mythical basketball agenda designed to keep The University of North Carolina on top.
Fans point to the fact that John Swofford is a former UNC Athletic Director and collegiate athlete as their evidence of his perceived North Carolina basketball bias. But John Swofford is simply one man in a long line of ACC-school affiliated commissioners, not a hand-picked puppet of The University of North Carolina system. The ACC has always had someone close to the conference in this position because it wants someone who understands the league and its members, not someone with no sense of its tradition or history like University of Maryland President Wallace Loh. Jim Weaver (Wake Forest), Robert James (Maryland) and Eugene Corrigan (Virginia, Duke) were all tied to the ACC somehow, and not surprisingly, not to The University of North Carolina. If the ACC hired a new commissioner today, it might come from a league school like Miami or Boston College. Only one thing would be certain- it would NOT come from The University of North Carolina. The point of having an ACC-school affiliated commissioner is to create familiarity and investment, NOT bias, and the league has been very successful at this whether fans want to admit it or not.
There’s no basketball-related bias either. It’s ridiculous to pretend that Duke University has more votes than Florida State when it comes to conference matters. They don’t. Even when grouped together, the North Carolina schools are less than a third of the voting membership. They weren’t even the majority when Florida State was added in 1991. Both recent expansions have happened since then, and history tells us that the expansion in 2004 was about nothing but football. A conference championship, stronger teams and new recruiting grounds were just some of the considerations that led John Swofford to add Miami, Boston College and Virginia Tech. Basketball was simply not considered and in reality, most of the North Carolina schools voted against expansion and it happened anyway.
Contrary to popular belief, John Swofford is not out to ruin the BCS National Championship aspirations of the football-first schools. In fact, he cares a great deal about football, and it’s the schools that blame him for their own mediocrity that have ruined the football perception of the conference.
John Swofford does not go out on the football field each Saturday. He’s not the one losing to South Carolina. He’s not the one getting out-recruited by Georgia. And he’s not the one getting embarrassed in the Orange Bowl. That’s the ACC member schools. While he played college football at North Carolina, he finished his career a long time ago. Don’t blame him for what’s happening on the field now. The fact is, that John Swofford DOES care a great deal about ACC football. People seem to forget that when Boston College, Miami and Virginia Tech were added, they were all at the top of the college football world. Scandals (Miami), coaching turnover (Boston College) and the inability to perform in bowls (Virginia Tech) have brought these programs down, not their conference or its commissioner. None of these teams have gone undefeated, or even gotten close since they joined the ACC, so they certainly can’t argue that they were left out of a championship because of what conference they’re in. They brought themselves down, and that’s simply a fact.
The same can be said for schools like Florida State, Clemson and Georgia Tech. If these teams can’t go undefeated in the supposedly “weak” ACC, why do they think they deserve “better?” What is “better” if you haven’t won a National Championship since 1981? (Clemson) Do you really even deserve to be called a football “power” when you can only claim two national championships and “basketball” school Pittsburgh can claim 10? (Florida State) No one would be calling North Carolina a basketball “power” that shouldn’t have to play teams like yours Georgia Tech if it hadn’t won a national championship since 1990. The reality is, that schools and fans want to blame John Swofford for the league’s poor football product, but they need to look in the mirror. No amount of money can make bad coaching hires, recruiting decisions and scandals better. It’s about what you do with the money, not about how much you have. Yes, money is nice. But Kentucky football is STILL bad, the SEC is rich, and I’ve heard that it’s good at football. The ACC positioned its schools for football success by giving it better competition and access to the highest level bowls. The schools did not capitalize on this and have no one else to blame, but themselves.
Let’s be honest. Many of you will probably reply to me and say that I only believe these things because I’m a North Carolina fan. That’s fine, you’re entitled to your own opinion. It’s what makes a blog like this so much fun. But what if I told you that I’m not only a North Carolina fan, but that I also have a Masters degree in Sport Management? Does that make me more of an expert? What if I told you that I’ve done extensive research on the history of the ACC and own numerous books on the conference written by non-North Carolina sources? How do you feel now? Probably the same. What if I told you that I have family members that have gone to at least six other ACC schools? Do you feel that I’m less-biased now? Probably not. We all have preconceived biases and conference expansion brings out these feelings in the worst way. But history has shown one thing, and it’s that John Swofford has done a great job and wants nothing more than the ACC to be on top.
This is the first article on a series of realignment-related topics that I hope bring about some great discussion for everyone. If you don’t agree with me, please contact John Swofford and let him know what you don’t like about the league. Contact your school president, or athletic director and tell them ways you think the ACC can improve. Your school’s athletic program will not get better by leaving the conference. You’re where you are for a reason, and if we work together we can make the ACC into the strongest league in the country. Don’t let an undervalued television contract and a lack of recent football success blind you from the overall quality of academic and athletic prowess in the ACC. We have the best television markets, basketball, lacrosse, soccer, baseball and academics in the country. We have geographic conformity and longtime rivals. We have tradition and THAT MATTERS. Don’t let realignment ruin what we have because in the end, you won’ t have any of your friends to help you count your empty money.
The Confidential 
You make several good points. I have no doubt Swofford is devoted to ACC survival, and if he can pull it off, great. Also glad you pointed out that the allmighty SEC, the Holy Grail of TV coverage, started the whole mess…too many times writers/fans blame “our” conference for the demise of the Big East, convieniently ignoring the SEC moves that shook up the whole landscape.
Swofford has done a good job…and I agree that the first expansion of BE teams has resulted in those universities not fulfilling the promise of great football..for whatever reason. However, today the realignment bug appears to be stronger than ever and Swofford has not earned our confidence based on what has not been accomplished in a reasonable period of time….renegotiation with ESPN with Notre Dame association; leadership on formulating a network to increase dollars for each school…and lastly, giving the appearance of weakness…vis a vis the B1g, SEC and even Big 12. Silence can be good and Swofford has demonstrated his STEALTH ability to make good things happen; but the silence over the past 3 months seems to be defensive….how do all of you feel about that?
Thanks for your feedback Mike and Stephen, I really appreciate it! While I do believe in Swofford and think that he could be making moves right now, I am concerned with the silence as well. I have to think that he’ll blindside us with something yet again and hope that the league presidents aren’t foolish enough to make a 5 year decision over a 10 or 20 year one. Yes, there IS more money in these other conferences now, but I just can’t be convinced that the ACC doesn’t have the highest earning potential. Football is the top sport at the moment, but what happens if, as multiple current NFL player have said, that the game is watered down, or ceases to exist entirely? Wasn’t baseball America’s national past time before football was? Didn’t everybody use to watch boxing? The ACC is not just a football conference like the SEC or Big 12, it’s an excellent all-sports conference that also happens to have great universities. Contrary to popular belief, we also share many, if not more of the same academic benefits that the schools in the Big 10 have. Being part of the ACC has helped raise the bar at all of our schools, UNC included, and I can’t help but think that Maryland is making a huge mistake.
Very well written, and I, for one, am tired of hearing fellow FSU fans offer “it’s because we’re in the ACC” as an excuse for just about any and every shortcoming, real or imagined. You’ve hit the nail on the head in that, bottom line, many ACC schools let their own revenue-producing programs decay for WHATEVER reason…probation, hr decisions, allowing coaches too much/not enough rope, poor recruiting, poor development, etc. Before Carolina was a football power under Mack Brown, UVA had a great program, and so did Tech, Clemson and Maryland. Our programs can be great without having to be SEC carbon-copies. All of our schools have – or have had, at some point – money to throw at problems, but it’s more important to throw it, wisely. This economy will FORCE athletic departments to make better decisions. The bar is being raised, one notch at a time…as long as everybody keeps trying to reach or surpass it, the ACC should be great.
….and what is the outcome of Swofford doing a reasonably good job. Obviously his working stealth has proven in the past to work….what about now. Do we feel that ACC hold together and if so, is is simply because of the “round table and mores’ of the conference teams….or will dollars be the trophy ever other conference is chasing? And if so, what does Swofford do to hold the ACC together?
G&G — I agree with you. FSU, in the ACC, could have played in the NC game this year had it taken care of business. It was #3 when it lost to NC State.
As a Clemson alum, my first preference is for the ACC to stick together in its current form and remain viable. If Armageddon happens, we’ll likely be relegated to the Texas12 conference (gag!). There is much smoke and rumors out there, but one of the more idiotic ideas is that the B1G is a better conference academically than the ACC. This is complete and total hogwash. The US News and World Report rankings of the ACC are gaudy. Clemson is #68 (which I was proud of), but that’s only good for 11th out of the 15 in the conference! In fact, the ACC’s BOTTOM ranking is roughly equivalent to the SEC’s AVERAGE ranking. Not throwing rocks, but the ACC is the clear leader in academic profile. As for how things play out, I would think that UVa, UNC, Duke and GT really want to stick together at all costs. the question is whether the B1G is willing to go to 18 teams. My gut feeling (and I could be wrong) is that all 15 ACC members prefer to keep the ACC together. More money is the only thing that make that happen.
As for Swofford, Maryland is the lone blemish on his realignment record. Adding Louisville is a huge upgrade for both fb and bb. Looking at all of the very prestigious institutions in the ACC as well as the TV market footprint covering the entire east coast, I really have to believe that the TV contract is vastly undervalued. Consider the Catholic7’s current offer from Fox for basketball – it’s approximately equal to the non-football TV revenue for the ACC (assuming 20% is from non-football). If that comes to pass, then the ACC’s market value should be MUCH higher. Add in ND as a partial, better bowl tie-ins (resulting from ND, upcoming bowl tie-in renegatiation, the death of the BE), an ACC network and a scheduling alliance with the Big12 and the money could pull us even with our peer conferences and, most importantly, give rise to the grant of rights. The rumors will not stop until the ACC commits to a grant of rights. Swofford has a history of pulling rabbits out of his realignment hat. I’m hoping he continues this trend.
…and what is the means of getting an ACC GOR. Most likely ESPN upping their $$$…do any of us believe this to happen in the near future? And if yes, why? If no, why not?
I have no idea if ESPN, but there are several factors that, at the very least, make it plausible:
1. ND as a partial member. This effectively gives the ACC the intangible of the ND “brand name”. Tangible assets are 2.5 ND fb games per year and non-fb sports. They bring a top 15 bball team and a huge following on the east coast – ratings, ratings, ratings!
2. The market value of ACC bball will be buoyed by the Catholic7’s contract offer. Stands to reason that ACC bball should be valued a lot higher. The ACC will be the most watched bball conference in the country – hands down, not even close.
3. Timing of the previous agreement was bad – the market popped after the ACC signed it. This is admittedly my weakest reason.
4. Related to #3, but look at the TV markets in the ACC footprint compared to the Texas12. Vastly superior.
5. It looks like ESPN might pass on matching NBC’s offer to the BE, which means they have more $ to invest in the ACC (and SEC for that matter).
6. All bowl tie-ins will be renegotiated next year. The ACC should fare well in this, partly due to ND’s participation. Love them or hate them, people watch them.
7. ACC Network. I have to think that Swofford would not have leaked it to the press if it wasn’t going to happen. It won’t be the cash cow that the BTN is, but it should provide a nice bump.
8. ACC grant of rights – ESPN could consider all of these factors and offer a high dollar TV deal contingent on the members signing a GOR. The demographics and TV markets of the ACC are awesome – the only uncertainty in ESPN’s investment is potential defections. ESPN could effectively buy the ACC’s security by offering top dollar contingent on a GOR.
The following is making waves on Twitter again…mostly among WVU posters/tweeters. But it is one good reason the ACC needs a GOR…just to stop the speculation and BS that is taking place every day:
As nice as I can say it, that guy in particular spews the most ridiculous rumors. Prime example – he posted that the B1G was going to add ND and put them in a pod with 3 other teams. They would only play 5 B1G games, but yet be able to play for the B1G title by winning their pod. It would be a 2-round B1G championship with the 4 pod winners.
1. Does anyone think the B1G would EVER agree to those terms?!?! Good grief, I lost IQ points just by reading it.
2. The NCAA does not even allow multi-round conference championships in football.
I don’t doubt that the B1G wants UVa, UNC and maybe Duke or GT. I also don’t doubt that all 4 of those schools prefer to remain together in the ACC. None of them are on the verge of bankruptcy like Maryland was. I really believe that the outcome of the Maryland lawsuit and the new ACC TV deal will determine the future (or lackthereof) of the ACC.
…and do we have an idea when the renegotiated ESPN contract will be announced…seems like it is taking too long…
No idea what the time table is for the new TV contract or what is taking so long. Pure speculation on my part, but maybe ND’s TV contract is being absorbed into the ACC’s ESPN TV contract. The NBC deal expires in a year or two and there has been a longer delay on that. Joining the ACC TV contract at the hip with the ND TV contract would only strengthen that relationship.
Bottom line – I have no idea 😉
I’m truly not informed enough to speak on the matter but what some FSU fans point to is the third tier rights with Raycom. Giving preference to Raycom and losing money in the process? Again, I’m not entirely sure so I hope someone with more knowledge can clarify.
I would chalk that one up to the WVU crowd (i.e. it’s bogus). I would think the press would have picked up on that one by now if it were accurate.