Skins24
June-30th-2003, 05:16 PM
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A51984-2003Jun30.html?nav=hptop_tb
Miami Accepts Bid to Join Atlantic Coast Conference
By Josh Barr
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, June 30, 2003; 3:54 PM
The University of Miami has accepted an offer to join the Atlantic Coast Conference, ending a two-year saga that took countless unplanned twists in recent weeks. Clemson University President Jim Barker told ACC university presidents and trustees in an e-mail that Miami President Donna Shalala informed him at 10:45 a.m. today that Miami would accept the invitation.
Miami has scheduled a news conference for 4 p.m. to make public its decision.
ACC Commissioner John Swofford is expected to comment after Miami's announcement and the ACC will hold a new conference on Tuesday night to welcome Miami and Virginia Tech, which last week accepted its invitation. The schools had been expected to formally notify the Big East of their intentions today, the final day before the Big East exit fee doubles to $2 million. They will begin play in the ACC in the 2004-05 school year.
Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, who has taken the lead in a lawsuit filed by four Big East schools alleging the ACC and Miami acted improperly, has scheduled his own news conference for 4:30 p.m. It is expected that he will announce his intention to continue with the lawsuit, but it is unclear whether he will seek a temporary injunction to delay the expansion.
Connecticut Superior Court Judge Samuel J. Sferrazza, who held preliminary meetings in the case last week, is on vacation and not due back until the case's next scheduled meeting, July 14.
The loss of Miami and Virginia Tech could decimate Big East football. The two schools have dominated the conference and it is uncertain whether the conference will be able to retain its automatic berth to the Bowl Championship Series.
Big East Commissioner Mike Tranghese has scheduled a news conference for this evening to address the events.
ACC and Big East representatives have spent the past few days trying to court Miami leaders. Last month, the Big East guaranteed Miami at least $9 million in revenues for each of the next five years. The ACC, meantime, was banking that Miami would see long-term security in its conference, with the possibility to add a 12th team -- and a potentially lucrative conference championship football game.
As part of the negotiations, Miami officials have expressed financial and scheduling concerns with an 11-team ACC and are disappointed that Syracuse and Boston College, also from the Big East, did not receive invitations after going through the courtship process. However, the ability to play in the ACC could provide Miami with a much-needed influx of revenue from its basketball program -- including the possibility of increasing the value for naming rights to its new arena.
Miami Accepts Bid to Join Atlantic Coast Conference
By Josh Barr
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, June 30, 2003; 3:54 PM
The University of Miami has accepted an offer to join the Atlantic Coast Conference, ending a two-year saga that took countless unplanned twists in recent weeks. Clemson University President Jim Barker told ACC university presidents and trustees in an e-mail that Miami President Donna Shalala informed him at 10:45 a.m. today that Miami would accept the invitation.
Miami has scheduled a news conference for 4 p.m. to make public its decision.
ACC Commissioner John Swofford is expected to comment after Miami's announcement and the ACC will hold a new conference on Tuesday night to welcome Miami and Virginia Tech, which last week accepted its invitation. The schools had been expected to formally notify the Big East of their intentions today, the final day before the Big East exit fee doubles to $2 million. They will begin play in the ACC in the 2004-05 school year.
Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, who has taken the lead in a lawsuit filed by four Big East schools alleging the ACC and Miami acted improperly, has scheduled his own news conference for 4:30 p.m. It is expected that he will announce his intention to continue with the lawsuit, but it is unclear whether he will seek a temporary injunction to delay the expansion.
Connecticut Superior Court Judge Samuel J. Sferrazza, who held preliminary meetings in the case last week, is on vacation and not due back until the case's next scheduled meeting, July 14.
The loss of Miami and Virginia Tech could decimate Big East football. The two schools have dominated the conference and it is uncertain whether the conference will be able to retain its automatic berth to the Bowl Championship Series.
Big East Commissioner Mike Tranghese has scheduled a news conference for this evening to address the events.
ACC and Big East representatives have spent the past few days trying to court Miami leaders. Last month, the Big East guaranteed Miami at least $9 million in revenues for each of the next five years. The ACC, meantime, was banking that Miami would see long-term security in its conference, with the possibility to add a 12th team -- and a potentially lucrative conference championship football game.
As part of the negotiations, Miami officials have expressed financial and scheduling concerns with an 11-team ACC and are disappointed that Syracuse and Boston College, also from the Big East, did not receive invitations after going through the courtship process. However, the ability to play in the ACC could provide Miami with a much-needed influx of revenue from its basketball program -- including the possibility of increasing the value for naming rights to its new arena.