After all the conference calls, the press conferences, and legal issues, become just a memory; the Atlantic Coast Conference will enjoy the fruits of its labor. With Hurricanes and Hookies possibly bringing lucrative television contracts and football championship games, the future of the conference looks bright.
Miami and Virginia Tech account for nine of the last twelve Big East football championships. They rank first and second respectively in best all-time Big East records. Over the last three seasons Miami has the best football record in the nation, while Virginia Tech comes in eighth in that category. Such an impressive resume adds a great deal of credibility to a conference traditionally known for its exploits on the hardwood and not the gridiron.
"Because of this expansion, the conference may well be stronger than at any point in its history," ACC Commissioner John Swofford said in a release. "The addition of Miami and Virginia Tech to the ACC will undoubtedly benefit all of the conference's student athletes. Our student-athletes want to compete against the best and our fans want to see the best competition."
The ACC's addition of just the two schools is somewhat surprising given that throughout the expansion process 12 has seemingly been the magic number. NCAA rules require that a conference have 12 schools in order to hold a football championship game. The ACC could potentially lobby the NCAA to lower the requirement to 11 teams. Such a move would make millions for the ACC.
However, regardless of any NCAA rule changes, the ACC still maintains the flexibility to add another member in the future.
"[The expansion] leaves open the possibility at some future time of another step that we favor
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