July 22, 2008

Steve Megargee
Rivals.com College Football Staff Writer

GREENSBORO, Ga. ? ACC commissioner John Swofford considers his league's expansion a clear long-term success, even though it hasn't produced any football postseason glory in the short term.

"I couldn't be more pleased with expansion, to be quite frank," Swofford said Tuesday at the final ACC Media Days function at the Ritz-Carlton Lodge, Reynolds Plantation. "I think just about anybody in our league that you ask would say the same thing. It's worked so tangibly and intangibly.

"When I talk about tangibly, I talk about in terms of the marketplace. Attendance is up. Television ratings are up. Revenue streams are up. There's no question it's worked from that standpoint."

Miami and Virginia Tech left the Big East to join the ACC in 2004, and Boston College followed suit a year later. The addition of the schools was billed as a way for the ACC to emerge as one of the nation's football superpowers. It hasn't quite worked out that way.

No ACC team has finished a season ranked higher than seventh in the nation since Miami and Virginia Tech came aboard, and the ACC still hasn't earned a BCS at-large invitation.

"How we as a conference evaluate expansion is not based on short-term competitiveness but on long-term positioning and (the) stability aspects of it," Swofford said.

Swofford also pointed out that expansion improved the league's competitive balance. Five teams have played in the ACC's three conference championship games.

"I don't think there's any question that competitively within the league, we're deeper and stronger than we've ever been," Swofford said. "If you look at our schedules every Saturday today compared to a half-dozen years ago, there are a lot more interesting, quality and competitive games than we've ever had. It's stronger top to bottom."

ACC PRESIDENTS LIKED PLUS-ONE

Swofford indicated the "plus-one" model for deciding a national football champion might have received support from some ACC presidents, though other leagues were overwhelmingly interested in maintaining the status quo.

The commissioners of the six major conferences and Kevin White ? the Notre Dame athletic director at the time ? decided in April to keep the BCS format intact at least through the 2013 season.

"We never brought that to a formal vote at that point in time. ? The SEC never really took that vote, either," Swofford said. "Other conferences were so strongly in favor of retaining the current format that we never got to the point of taking a vote."

Swofford added that ACC presidents were comfortable with the current format. "One of the things about the BCS, too, is it's not a 'majority rules' organization in terms of the fundamental format," he said. "When we get to some smaller kinds of issues? yes, it is. But on something as fundamental as the format, you have to come up with something that everybody is wanting to be a part of because if you lose a couple of conferences, then it doesn't work.''

IS THE PRICE RIGHT?

ACC associate commissioner of football Michael Kelly said Tuesday the league may have priced some fans out of the conference championship game in the past. The ACC has taken steps to make sure that doesn't happen this season.

The least expensive tickets for the three championship games in Jacksonville, Fla., were $60, a price that will get you into the lower level of the end zone for the 2008 championship Dec. 6 at Tampa's Raymond James Stadium. The lowest ticket prices for this year's championship are $25.

"It's a value unmatched I would say anywhere in sports, certainly in college football," Kelly said.

ACC officials are hoping the lower ticket prices and the new site will result in sellout crowds after the past two championship games were played in front of thousands of empty seats.

Kelly noted that the Tampa Bay area has 80,000 alumni from ACC schools and a larger overall population than Jacksonville.

WHERE DO THEY GO FROM HERE?

The ACC will hold its 2008 and '09 championship games in Tampa before moving to Charlotte for the next two years. The location of the championship game after 2011 remains uncertain.

Swofford said the conference still is pondering whether to follow the lead of the Southeastern Conference or the Big 12. The SEC holds its championship game at a permanent location (Atlanta), while the Big 12 rotates sites.

"By the time we finish our second year in Charlotte, we will have seven years of experience with the game," Swofford said. "And I think we can make a determination (then) for the best route to go."

D.C. HOLIDAY

The inaugural Congressional Bowl is scheduled for Dec. 20 at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., but Swofford indicated future editions of the game will take place after Christmas.

The Congressional Bowl pits an ACC team against Navy, assuming the Midshipmen win enough games to qualify for a bid. The Congressional will get the ninth choice of ACC teams, Swofford said.

The ACC's other bowl partners are the Jan. 1 Orange Bowl in Miami; the Dec. 31 Chick-fil-A Bowl in Atlanta; the Jan. 1 Gator Bowl in Jacksonville; the Dec. 31 Music City Bowl in Nashville, Tenn.; the Dec. 30 Humanitarian Bowl in Boise, Idaho; the Dec. 27 Emerald Bowl in San Francisco; the Dec. 27 Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando; and the Dec. 27 Meineke Car Care Bowl in Charlotte. This is the final season of the deal with the Humanitarian.

COORDINATING OFFICIALS

ACC representatives discussed the formation of College Football Officiating, an organization designed to improve the consistency of officiating across the country. The organization hopes to train game officials on a national scale so that each conference's officials call a game in a similar manner.

"This is a long time coming," ACC coordinator of football officiating Doug Rhoads said.

PSYCHO T AND ANGELA T.

North Carolina basketball player Tyler Hansbrough and Virginia Tech softball pitcher Angela Tincher were named the ACC male and female athletes of the year by the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association.

NCAA singles champion tennis player Somdev Devvarman of Virginia finished second in the men's voting, while Florida State baseball catcher Buster Posey placed third. On the women's side, Duke golfer Amanda Blumenhurst was second and North Carolina field hockey star Rachel Dawson placed third.

Steve Megargee is a national writer for Rivals.com. He can be reached at smegargee@rivals.com.