Awesome
June-19th-2003, 09:50 AM
By Josh Barr
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, June 19, 2003; Page D01
Desperately seeking to move forward with expansion, the Atlantic Coast Conference appears ready to consider adding Virginia Tech to its plans, potentially creating a 13-team league, three sources familiar with the situation said yesterday.
After a two-hour conference call of ACC university presidents yesterday morning showed that the current expansion plan involving Big East schools Miami, Boston College and Syracuse lacked the seven votes necessary to extend any invitations, University of Virginia President John Casteen proposed the league reconsider Virginia Tech, according to a source with knowledge of the discussion.
Georgia Tech President G. Wayne Clough, a former Virginia Tech professor who maintains a home in Blacksburg, was in Blacksburg late yesterday afternoon and met with Virginia Tech President Charles Steger, sources confirmed.
Clough was expected to inform Steger of the latest developments and give Virginia Tech a 48-hour deadline to respond, a source said.
"If these reports are accurate, the ACC apparently will stop at nothing to destroy the Big East as a football conference," said Mark Fabiani, a spokesman for the five Big East schools that have sued the ACC, Boston College and Miami in an attempt to keep the Big East together. "We have continued to receive assurances from Virginia Tech that it is committed to protecting the Big East and that it, in good conscience, could not accept an offer from the ACC. For our part, we will continue to do everything possible to keep the Big East intact, including pursuing all of our available legal options."
A source familiar with the situation said that Virginia Tech had made these assurances as late as yesterday afternoon, before the meeting between Clough and Steger occurred.
Steger is expected to talk today to members of his university's Board of Visitors about what to do next. ACC university presidents are tentatively scheduled to convene again over the weekend, after Steger responds, another source said.
Virginia Tech would have to drop out of a lawsuit against the ACC, Boston College and Miami in order to proceed with exploratory discussions with the ACC, a source said.
"No offer has been made," the source said. "The issue is going to be put to them. If we would be willing to have an exploration, we need to understand from you if you're interested, and how can we explore if you're suing us?"
If Virginia Tech is included in expansion, it would relieve political pressure from Virginia Gov. Mark R. Warner (D) and other state officials on Casteen, who is said to favor expansion but feels unable to deliver a decisive vote on any plan that does not include Virginia Tech. North Carolina and Duke have remained solid in their opposition to expansion, several sources said, prompting Casteen's proposal as a way to pass expansion.
"If this is all the case and turns out to be the end result, this is great news for all of Virginia," said Tim Murtaugh, spokesman for Virginia Attorney General Jerry Kilgore, who is representing Virginia Tech in the lawsuit.
"From day one, the goal has been to preserve the interests of Virginia Tech and have it remain a member of a strong, viable football conference.
"It was important for that part of the state economically and to Virginia Tech as an institution. It is very clear that without Tech's presence in the lawsuit we never would have come to this point. Had there not been a lawsuit, we doubt very seriously that this meeting would be taking place right now.
Whether it was the old Big East or the ACC, Virginia Tech had to remain in a strong conference."
There is one significant catch, however. A well-placed source said the possibility of a 13-team league has never been discussed in detail and there would be serious financial concerns in that adding a 13th team would not increase revenue while splitting it more ways.
Also, it is unclear whether any schools that presently favor expansion might change their stance given the possibility that their revenues might drop.
Then there is the problem of trying to move quickly -- the exit fee for Big East teams to leave by the 2004-05 school year doubles to $2 million after June 30.
If Virginia Tech rebuffs the ACC's overtures and opts to remain in the lawsuit and fight to keep the Big East intact, Casteen ostensibly would be relieved of the political pressure. Casteen could point to the latest offer as doing all he could for Virginia Tech and then vote for the three-team expansion.
Casteen, traveling for a European vacation, could not be reached to comment.
"This is just unimaginable and really I am just surprised by it all," said Virginia Tech Athletic Director Jim Weaver.
Special correspondent Steve Argeris contributed to this report.
© 2003 The Washington Post Company
I'm no Hokie fan but i don't want to see that program take a nosedive.
BUT, this is getting out of hand. On Sportscenter this morning they said the ACC was also considering UCONN.
Thoughts?
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, June 19, 2003; Page D01
Desperately seeking to move forward with expansion, the Atlantic Coast Conference appears ready to consider adding Virginia Tech to its plans, potentially creating a 13-team league, three sources familiar with the situation said yesterday.
After a two-hour conference call of ACC university presidents yesterday morning showed that the current expansion plan involving Big East schools Miami, Boston College and Syracuse lacked the seven votes necessary to extend any invitations, University of Virginia President John Casteen proposed the league reconsider Virginia Tech, according to a source with knowledge of the discussion.
Georgia Tech President G. Wayne Clough, a former Virginia Tech professor who maintains a home in Blacksburg, was in Blacksburg late yesterday afternoon and met with Virginia Tech President Charles Steger, sources confirmed.
Clough was expected to inform Steger of the latest developments and give Virginia Tech a 48-hour deadline to respond, a source said.
"If these reports are accurate, the ACC apparently will stop at nothing to destroy the Big East as a football conference," said Mark Fabiani, a spokesman for the five Big East schools that have sued the ACC, Boston College and Miami in an attempt to keep the Big East together. "We have continued to receive assurances from Virginia Tech that it is committed to protecting the Big East and that it, in good conscience, could not accept an offer from the ACC. For our part, we will continue to do everything possible to keep the Big East intact, including pursuing all of our available legal options."
A source familiar with the situation said that Virginia Tech had made these assurances as late as yesterday afternoon, before the meeting between Clough and Steger occurred.
Steger is expected to talk today to members of his university's Board of Visitors about what to do next. ACC university presidents are tentatively scheduled to convene again over the weekend, after Steger responds, another source said.
Virginia Tech would have to drop out of a lawsuit against the ACC, Boston College and Miami in order to proceed with exploratory discussions with the ACC, a source said.
"No offer has been made," the source said. "The issue is going to be put to them. If we would be willing to have an exploration, we need to understand from you if you're interested, and how can we explore if you're suing us?"
If Virginia Tech is included in expansion, it would relieve political pressure from Virginia Gov. Mark R. Warner (D) and other state officials on Casteen, who is said to favor expansion but feels unable to deliver a decisive vote on any plan that does not include Virginia Tech. North Carolina and Duke have remained solid in their opposition to expansion, several sources said, prompting Casteen's proposal as a way to pass expansion.
"If this is all the case and turns out to be the end result, this is great news for all of Virginia," said Tim Murtaugh, spokesman for Virginia Attorney General Jerry Kilgore, who is representing Virginia Tech in the lawsuit.
"From day one, the goal has been to preserve the interests of Virginia Tech and have it remain a member of a strong, viable football conference.
"It was important for that part of the state economically and to Virginia Tech as an institution. It is very clear that without Tech's presence in the lawsuit we never would have come to this point. Had there not been a lawsuit, we doubt very seriously that this meeting would be taking place right now.
Whether it was the old Big East or the ACC, Virginia Tech had to remain in a strong conference."
There is one significant catch, however. A well-placed source said the possibility of a 13-team league has never been discussed in detail and there would be serious financial concerns in that adding a 13th team would not increase revenue while splitting it more ways.
Also, it is unclear whether any schools that presently favor expansion might change their stance given the possibility that their revenues might drop.
Then there is the problem of trying to move quickly -- the exit fee for Big East teams to leave by the 2004-05 school year doubles to $2 million after June 30.
If Virginia Tech rebuffs the ACC's overtures and opts to remain in the lawsuit and fight to keep the Big East intact, Casteen ostensibly would be relieved of the political pressure. Casteen could point to the latest offer as doing all he could for Virginia Tech and then vote for the three-team expansion.
Casteen, traveling for a European vacation, could not be reached to comment.
"This is just unimaginable and really I am just surprised by it all," said Virginia Tech Athletic Director Jim Weaver.
Special correspondent Steve Argeris contributed to this report.
© 2003 The Washington Post Company
I'm no Hokie fan but i don't want to see that program take a nosedive.
BUT, this is getting out of hand. On Sportscenter this morning they said the ACC was also considering UCONN.
Thoughts?