(05-22-2019 02:57 PM)esayem Wrote:  

(05-22-2019 10:51 AM)NJ2MDTerp Wrote:  The 1990 ACC expansion should've included Miami. That would've given the ACC a pretty solid 10 school conference along the southeast coast from Maryland to Florida and most likely would've preempted further expansion in 2003.

This, this, and more this! Imagine Constantin Popa vs Eric Montross!! The ACC dropped the ball there. Miami made way more sense than FSU as far as the school profile was concerned. It really would have been the kill shot to the Big East football conference too.

The idea of Syracuse getting in over Virginia Tech would never have happened anyway. The much maligned NC schools would have vetoed the **** out of that and we would have ended up a 10 team conference in 2003. Probably still would have been screwed out of a CCG; never to receive the lifeboat tossed to the Big XII a few years ago. What a joke.

I believe Duke and UNC joined Virginia in opposing any expansion. Virginia broke the deadlock when VT was invited. Miami had wanted Syracuse and BC, and did not immediately accept the ACC's invitation.

From https://virginiatech.sportswar.com/artic...2000-2004/

Quote:June 10, 2003: ACC athletic directors hold a teleconference and come out of it nearly united in favor of expansion. Virginia is the only school to vote against it. The presidents hold a conference call that evening — their first with the intention of voting to extend invitations — and come to no conclusion.

June 11, 2003: A second conference call of the presidents yields no vote. UNC and Duke express doubts, and along with Virginia, that’s enough to stall expansion.

June 18, 2003: The presidents hold a third conference call, at 7 a.m. No vote to extend invitations is taken, and in a surprise move, Virginia Tech is reintroduced as an expansion candidate, meaning (the media assume) the ACC would go to 13 teams. Georgia Tech president Wayne Clough meets with Virginia Tech president Charles Steger in Blacksburg that night to tell him the news.

June 21, 2003: The fourth conference call occurs, with no voting action taken. Representatives from Virginia, Maryland and NC State form a three-person committee and are tasked with putting together a report on the financial state of Virginia Tech athletics.

June 22, 2003: Reports emerge that BC or Syracuse may be dropped in favor of Virginia Tech. The ACC trio mentioned above talks to VT executive vice president and C.O.O. Minnis Ridenour for 90 minutes to gather the information they need.

June 24, 2003: UVa’s Leonard Sandridge presents the committee’s finding to the ACC presidents in a fifth teleconference. In light of the favorable report on Virginia Tech’s financial status and academic support system, resistance to Virginia Tech disappears. A shocking result occurs: The ACC presidents vote to include Virginia Tech and Miami in an 11-team expansion, without BC or Syracuse. Virginia Tech and Miami get the necessary votes, but when BC comes up for a vote, NC State chancellor Marye Anne Fox votes no to the Eagles, leaving them out. Syracuse is reportedly never voted upon.

June 25, 2003: The ACC makes a whirlwind site visit to Virginia Tech and extends a formal invitation to the Hokies. Virginia Tech indicates that they’ll accept.

June 26, 2003: Shalala expresses disappointment at BC and Syracuse’s rejection and says that Miami will mull over offers from the Big East before deciding.

June 27, 2003: Virginia Tech officially accepts the invitation in a letter from Charles Steger that is posted on Virginia Tech’s web site and sent to members of the media.

June 30, 2003: After a couple days of grandstanding, Shalala holds a press conference to announce Miami’s decision to join the ACC.