ACC Council of Presidents releases solidarity statement
In the face of constant conference realignment rumors, the ACC’s Council of Presidents banded together Thursday to release a 98-word statement of solidarity to the league.
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It reads like this:
“We, the undersigned presidents of the Atlantic Coast Conference, wish to express our commitment to preserve and protect the future of our outstanding league. We want to be clear that the speculation about ACC schools in negotiations or considering alternatives to the ACC are totally false. The presidents of the ACC are united in our commitment to a strong and enduring conference. The ACC has long been a leader in intercollegiate athletics, both academically and athletically, and the constitution of our existing and future member schools will maintain the ACC’s position as one of the nation’s premier conferences.”
It was signed by the following members of the Council of Presidents:
- Fr. William Leahy, Boston College
- Mr. James Barker, Clemson University
- Dr. Richard Brodhead, Duke University
- Dr. Eric Barron, Florida State University
- Dr. G.P. “Bud” Peterson, Georgia Institute of Technology
- Dr. James Ramsey, University of Louisville
- Dr. Donna Shalala, University of Miami
- Dr. Holden Thorp, University of North Carolina
- Dr. Randy Woodson, North Carolina State University
- Fr. John Jenkins, University of Notre Dame
- Dr. Mark Nordenberg, University of Pittsburgh
- Dr. Nancy Cantor, Syracuse University
- Dr. Teresa Sullivan, University of Virginia
- Dr. Charles Steger, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University
- Dr. Nathan Hatch, Wake Forest University
What does this mean? Well, not a whole heck of a lot. It’s a statement, nothing more. I joked on Twitter that it has about as much of a legal standing as a BFF necklace. (Others went with a promise ring reference, which I respect.) Not that it was ever meant as a legal device. I’m sure it was just put together as a way for the presidents to stop having to answer questions every day about realignment.
In fact, friend of the blog David Morrison of the Greensboro News & Record reported that the impetus for the statement was made by officials from Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, Florida State, North Carolina and Clemson, aka the schools at the center of all the realignment rumors.
Sports Illustrated’s Andy Staples made a good point about this: the ACC will be fine only if other leagues decide not to pursue its members. The $50 million buyout saga with Maryland, which will go to the courts, will be something to watch. If that sticks, it’s at least something of an impediment to the ACC’s members being ripe for poaching. If it doesn’t, that makes it all the easier. Either way, today’s statement has no effect.
Don’t believe me? Look at the list of names who signed it. It includes seven presidents from schools that have left the Big East in the last decade. That tells you about how much the statement means.
December 6, 2012 - 3:38 PM
15 schools. Isn’t someone else joining up?
Statements like this are as meaningful as:
1. A political candidate’s promises
2. A Middle East Peace accord
3. “The check is in the mail”
4. “Hello, I love you” to a girl you never met before.
5. “Honest baby, I had a vasectomy”.
6. This car was only driven to church on Sunday by a little old lady
Why bother? How stupid!
The realignment rumors will not be quashed by releasing statements like this. It’s nice that they did it, but the internet folks will keep talking about unsubstantiated conference reshuffling for the next few years, at the minimum.
Also, I don’t see why the exit fee would be struck down in court, since no others have, even with the Big East. What will happen is that the B1G will pay the fee for Maryland, then deduct that amount over the next five years of UMd’s revenue sharing within the B1G. That’s what was done with Nebraska.
That loophole has rendered the ACC’s exit fee a lot less imposing. The result is that the B1G & SEC can wash out any exit fees for potential members in any of the less cash rich conferences. That being said, the vast majority of the conference realignment conspiracy theories are baseless.
CR,
That makes the ROI in joining another conference alot longer. Maryland is awash in red ink NOW.
AB,
Berman already posted this on his BLOG a couple hours ago. Do you guys work for the same paper?
We do. I was driving back from a meeting in Roanoke. People can discuss it on both blogs if they want. Our audiences aren’t entirely the same.
I liken the Statement of Solidarity as The Fellowship of the Ring. The evil dark lord, Mike Slive, and Saurman, aka Jim Delaney, are not going to stop ravaging the middle-earth by raiding the mid-Atlantic region until all have fallen under the darkness of untold riches and power.
The Council of the Fellowship are fighting a desperate battle to maintain middle-earth…
Bob H, if we charged Crooked Road $1 for every one of his posts on every one of the blogs, we could pay the $53 million exit fee in one day. And that doesn’t even cover his “Barry from Ivy” posts, either. It is amazing to me that one person could have so many facts available to them which need to be shared, EVERY minute.
I honestly believe he must pay a ghost writer to produce half his comments. How else could one person find time to work, sleep, eat, bathe, etc.?
BobH, I don’t disagree about UMd’s financial status, I just pointed out how Nebraska had handled it. Considering how poorly Maryland’s athletic dept handles their finances, I wouldn’t be surprised that they dismissed that little detail from their thinking. Even without that reduction, my bet is that five years from now they’ll be just as broke in the B1g as they are in the ACC right now. The only difference is that their expenses will be far greater and they’ll have zero connection with the rest of the conference.
I saw an interesting comment by a long time ACC media observer the other day. He astutely pointed out that in the nearly 60 year history of Maryland being in the ACC, they never really developed a rivalry with anyone. Oh, sure they & UVa liked to tussle, but they weren’t really rivals. UVa fans dislike the Terps, but didn’t really consider them THE rival, or even 2nd or 3rd on that list. Maryland liked to think UNC & Duke were basketball rivals, but again, the feeling was never reciprocated. Just as with UVa, not even 2nd or 3rd.
Now that they’re in the B1G (soon, at least), that absence of connection will be exponentially more pronounced.
To Add to Zman’s list
7. Baby, I will still love you in the morning.
Time for Federal Regulation!
Knowledge is power and as you can see, Crooked Road and I just about have a monopoly on such. Maryland has always looked at UVA as their big rival but UVA has never felt the same. Do y’all think VT will score against Rutgers? Will they get a first down in the first half? Some things to seriously ponder. Sad when the Hokies won’t even be able to win a meaningless bowl. But what I want to know, is how about dem’ Cowboys!!!!
Let’s go Hokies !!!
To poison ivy. Why is your life so miserable? I have read countless blogs of your drivel, yes tech will get a first down in the first half. If you were as smart as you profess to be, you would know that. Oh I get it, maybe you are feigning sarcasm. Please get a new interest, I as well as many real hokies are tired of your negativity . We have a great team that is always changing. Go ahead and admit it you never got past t ball,and you sucked at that. Get over yourself or tell us why we need to listen to your crap. Have a nice day. I will save you a seat next to me at the bowl game. The short coach
To Barry from Ivy,
I will bet you the farm that the Hokies have a far greater chance of gaining a first down over Rutgers than your little insects do in their game!! Remind me again…did GT have to beg and cry to get a waiver just to make a bowl game. I would have thought you would have overdosed by now on that radiator fluid you must drink in Ivy!
Better work on getting the acc to 16 teams soon. Notre Dame is still half pregnant with their committment. Buzzards swarming from SEC and Big 10(15).50 million exit fee,,hmmmm
Just wait til you see what the Jackets do to USC in the Sun Bowl. You do realize they were just a play or two away (sounds like Beamer, right?) from stinging the Seminoles in that ACC champeenship game! Do not underestimate Mr. Paul Johnson, he will have them ready. And he will be ready for those Hokies next season as well. The Hokies will not beat the Big East!!!
Notre Dame doesn’t have a chance against Alabama, the Tide will roll over them in the first quarter. The Irish are nice folks but hall-of-fame overrated just like VT.
#6 bob, I’m my own person, and not Barry from Ivy. His & my views match on some, disagree on others. Just because each of us has criticized Frank Beamer and/or the Hokie football program doesn’t lump us into a single entity, despite your desire to do so.
You’re free to ignore my posts, but evidently you really feel compelled to read them. Nothing wrong with that, you’re also welcome to rebut my claims if you desire. I’d welcome the discussion. I comment a lot on here because I’m passionate about Hokie sports, along with other sports related topics. If you want to subtract all my comments, you also need to subtract all the comments about my comments, which pretty much match the volume I produce. The result would be your desired lockstep, but quite boring and minimal discussion would occur. It’s a blog, lockstep posts and minimal volume don’t exactly further the cause.
Here’s an interesting look at one version of a spread offense, and the philosophy that surrounds it.
http://northcarolina.scout.com/2/1247034.html
Just another example of how the game constantly evolves…
“Berman already posted this on his BLOG a couple hours ago.”
Who the hell is Berman?
Calendar, clock, memory…
December 7th, 1941
7:48 a.m. Hawaii time (12:48 p.m. Eastern standard time)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvAw_u-CkLE
A tearful salute…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMXnCwQLlac
Maryland will not pay 50 million to leave it will be less…..fl state and clemson want to leave and will as soon (if) the big 12 calls….. uva, ga tech and unc have rumored to have had talks with the big 10….Sec wants va tech and a carolina school ideally unc but more realistic nc state….VT turned down the SEC last uear and if they do it again they will be in the new big east not making near as much money as the others but thats what beamer and weaver want to always win a bad league each year and the league will get worse …get out now while u can ….
Beamer doesn’t have very much of a voice in conference affiliation decisions, nor do any coaches. Weaver, Steger, & the BOV have the control in that. They remain prudent in staying within the ACC. Geography does make a difference in this case. Football glory does not define the sum of conference affiliation.