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Quote:The presidents of the Atlantic Coast Conference voted Friday to invite Miami, Boston College and Syracuse to leave the Big East and join their nine-team league.

The formal invitations will come at a later date, said Dr. G. Wayne Clough, the president at Georgia Tech. According to its bylaws, the ACC must send a representative to that campus to begin discussions and officially extend the invitation.

The ACC presidents met on Tuesday and voted 7-2 to expand to 12 teams. The presidents agreed that Miami would be one of the teams but did not chose among Syracuse, Boston College, and Virginia Tech for the other two teams. On Friday Virginia Tech was officially taken out of the mix.

"This is a historic step," said Clough, who said he could not reveal the vote count. "The closer you get to it, the more you realize this has long lasting effects. We want to do this right."

The ACC's move comes on the eve of the Big East spring meeting in Ponte Vedra, Fla. During those meetings Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese is expected to make a pitch to keep Miami in the fold. To say that Big East members are nervous about these meetings is a huge understatement.

"They should be scared," said Tranghese. "These are scary times."

Tranghese's job over the next three days is to convince Miami president Donna Shalala and athletics director Paul Dee that the Hurricanes can remain in the Big East and be just as successful.

"This is all about Miami," said Tranghese. "If Miami goes, people are going to go. If Miami stays, we'll stay intact."

The ACC's position is that Miami will be more financially successful by leaving the Big East and joining its league, which has not expanded since adding Florida State in 1991. The ACC believes it can generate considerably more revenue by expanding to 12 teams and playing a conference championship football game like the SEC has done since 1992. Expansion would also put the ACC in a stronger bargaining position when its current television contract runs out after the 2005 season.

The Big East will counter that the additional money the ACC feels it can earn with expansion -- at least $30 million per year -- simply won't be there given the realities of the marketplace.

Miami will listen to both arguments and then has until June 30 to make a final decision. After that it would face a stiff penalty if it chose to leave the Big East.

The financial stakes for all parties involved are considerable. Accordingly, there is a lot of backroom politicking going on.

Boston College is a lock to go if Miami says yes. But now there is word that Virginia Tech and Syracuse might form an alliance and both say "no" to the ACC, hoping to kill expansion and keep the Big East intact. Given the financial pressures involved, such an alliance might wilt.

At the very least, Tranghese will ask Miami to stay through the 2005 season, when the current television contracts expire. If they are not satisfied by then, Tranghese will let Miami go with his blessing.

If the ACC expands, it will create the biggest shake-up in college athletics since the SEC expanded in 1991. The change could affect as many as six Division I-A conferences.

Joltin Jacket I wouldnt call it official yet, its the Big Easts' turn to come out swinging. Hopefully it will workout for your conference, but you never know

Apparently Va. Tech was ruled out because they share the same market as Va. - no more money there!!!!!!!!

The ACC wants the big markets up north.

Also I read the ACC was already the highest income generating conference of all last year. Almost $100 million total - that's about $9.7 million per school share.

Like it or not it's here.

doh

Wow....


IT STARTS :devil:

Miami already plays Syracuse, BC, Rutgers and Temple all teams in the North East.
I currently live in the NE, I used to live in the south and college football is dead up here compared to down south as is most college athletics unless your talking about lacrosse
Unless its Notre Dame, we wont see a major difference in collegiate athletics, especially football when speaking of the exposure Syracuse and BC will bring.
How much exposure does Miami get against those other teams up here.
its not Miami vs FSU or UF.
North East is pro first. You have the Giants, Jets, Mets, Yankees, Patriots, Bills, Knicks, Nets, etc.
Syracuse won a National title in basketball and the media up here gave Syracuse their 15 minutes of fame, but thats about it.
Maybe the ACC has the money to bring that exposure, but if like i said the NCAA is going up against a territory that is pro oriented first.
A conference about to expand should be very news worthy but I have heard more about the upcoming NFL season than the ACC expansion.
Just like Syracuse it has made its way to the papers up here in the back of the sports section but you wont hear nothing else.
I hope the ACC does get the expansion, it will be great for all the teams here just dont expect alot from the NE exposure