ACC closing in on deal to add Hurricanes
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ESPN.com news services


North Carolina State athletic director Lee Fowler and Florida State athletic director Dave Hart will meet Friday with Miami president Donna Shalala to possibly finalize the Hurricanes' move to the ACC, a source close to the process in Miami told ESPN.com.

The source said Fowler and Hart met with Miami coaches and administrators Thursday night at a dinner. However, the conversation was casual and didn't include detailed analysis of Miami's potential move from the Big East to the ACC. Shalala did not attend the dinner.

"It looks like it's a done deal,'' the source said. "Once these campus visits are over, this will move quickly.''

Fowler and Hart will look at Miami's facilities Friday morning. But even that appears to be a formality, considering Hart has visited Miami many times with his Florida State teams.

The source said the ACC is expected to send different athletic directors to meetings at Syracuse and Boston College next week. Since ACC school presidents are not on these visits, the consensus is that all negotiating has already been done.

"I don't know what could stop it,'' the source said. "No one has said this is over and done and the people making the campus visits don't have the power to pull it off. But nothing has been thrown out there that appears to be slowing it down from our campus.''

Multiple sources have said that Miami, Syracuse and Boston College are expected to give a final decision on the expansion invitation the week of June 9.

Hart and Fowler were joined by ACC commissioner John Swofford earlier Thursday when the visit began Thursday. Miami has scheduled a news conference for Friday afternoon to include Swofford and Hurricanes AD Paul Dee.

The site visits are mandatory based on ACC bylaws, and although they are considered mere formalities, they could be critical steps in the conference's bid to lure three of the Big East's top programs.

The delegation was expected to tour the Orange Bowl as well as Miami's on-campus facilities that include a new $48 million basketball arena and a workout facility that was part of a $4.5 million renovation in 2001.

In meeting with Shalala and Dee, ACC officials are expected to respond to recent overtures from the Big East.

Rutgers spokesman John Wooding confirmed that the Big East guaranteed Miami at least $9 million annually for the next five years if the Hurricanes remain in the conference.

The offer was made to Dee in a letter dated May 27 and written by Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese with the approval of the conference's presidents and athletic directors, including those from Boston College and Syracuse.

The ACC voted May 16 to extend invitations to Miami, Boston College and Syracuse to begin formal discussions on joining the nine-team league and creating a 12-team superconference that would add a lucrative title game.

The ACC paid its nine schools a record $9.7 million in 2001-02. Miami reportedly earned $9.3 million, but $4 million of that came from its Bowl Championship Series appearance in the Rose Bowl. Had the Hurricanes not played in a BCS game, they would have made about $1.7 million less.

By bringing in three new teams, the ACC would have to guarantee it would take in an extra $29.1 million to stay even. TV deals and the BCS are up for renegotiation after the 2005-06 season, and with a slowing economy, there are no guarantees a bigger league will generate more money.

Nonetheless, Miami is weighing the move, and the rest of the country is waiting.

In a letter sent Wednesday to Shalala, Boston College president William Leahy and Syracuse chancellor Kenneth Shaw, nine U.S. senators implored the universities not to join the ACC.

"It was not too long ago that colleges and universities espoused loyalty, leadership and sportsmanship as the qualities that made intercollegiate athletics great,'' the senators wrote. "Now those very virtues find themselves under assault, not by the corrosive effects of scandal at the student-athlete level, but rather by the decisions of individuals in leadership positions. To us, that is the greatest shame of this entire affair.''

The letter was signed by Sens. Christopher Dodd and Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, Jon Corzine and Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey, John Warner and George Allen of Virginia, Robert Byrd and John Rockefeller IV of West Virginia and Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania.

The departure of the three universities to the ACC, the senators said, would have "a devastating impact'' on the Big East's remaining schools and would hurt women's athletics by "stifling years of progress.''


 

U.Va. breaks ground on arena today
By Dave Johnson
Daily Press
Published May 30, 2003

The University of Virginia's once-improbable dream of a new basketball arena leaps toward reality this afternoon with a ground-breaking that includes the announcement of naming rights.

On-site work began last month, but school officials believe today's 4:30 p.m., ceremony advances a project that is expected to cost at least $130 million. The university has raised about $80 million for the 15,000-seat facility, which is set to open in the summer of 2006.

"When you look back over the last 25 years, there's been any number of discussions attempting to jump-start building a new arena," Cavaliers athletic director Craig Littlepage said. "There's been a number of strategic plans and a number of initiatives approved by the Board of Visitors. But this is evidence that we're much further along than we've ever been."

School officials wouldn't say what individual or company will be awarded naming rights, but Paul Tudor Jones, a Connecticut businessman and 1976 Virginia graduate, has been the most generous contributor with two gifts totaling $30 million. Jones is expected to attend today's ceremony along with Littlepage, university president John Casteen, men's basketball coach Pete Gillen and women's coach Debbie Ryan.

Terry Holland, coach from 1974-90 and now a special assistant to Casteen, is unable to attend. He is in Colorado Springs, Colo., helping select teams for the Pan American Games.

It has been nearly two decades since Holland first floated the notion of replacing University Hall, which opened in 1965 and is the smallest arena in the ACC. In October of 1989, a university study concluded Virginia needed and could support a 15,000-seat, $40-million facility.

The next several years saw much talk but little action, prompting a debate on whether U-Hall should be replaced or improved. But in October of 1998, two months after U-Hall was shut down for eight weeks to repair the roof, the Board of Visitors gave the go-ahead to begin raising funds for a new arena.

Fund-raisers have dealt with a sluggish economy, but Jones and two other donors, William H. Goodwin of Richmond and an individual who requested anonymity, have combined to contribute $55 million.

"There will always be people who are skeptical about a lot of things, but now we know it's going to happen," said Barry Parkhill, associate athletic director for development. "We still have a long way to go, but we will do it. A shovel in the ground means you're going to do it."

The arena will be located across Massie Road from University Hall, which eventually will be leveled and turned into a parking lot. Seating will be in a horseshoe configuration, with upper and lower decks. Plans call for 20 luxury suites, a parking garage with 1,500 spaces, training rooms, coaches offices and practice courts. The entrance will include a row of columns similar to Scott Stadium.

"The design is absolutely spectacular in that the arena will fit into the university architecturally while providing first-class facilities for everyone," Holland said. "From an old hoops coach's perspective, the practice facilities are the crowning jewel since (they) will provide our coaches and players with (constant) access."

So far, workers have fenced in the area, moved some dirt and set up trailers. Parkhill said more involved construction is scheduled to begin toward the end of the summer.
 

Cavs' Brooks faces charge
May 30, 2003

CHARLOTTESVILLE - University of Virginia football player Ahmad Brooks, a freshman linebacker, has been charged with misdemeanor possession of marijuana.

Brooks, who lives in Woodbridge, will appear July 29 in Prince William County General District Court. A Parade All-American at Hylton High, Brooks enrolled at U.Va. in January after spending the fall semester at Hargrave Military Academy.

He starred in U.Va.'s spring game and is expected to contend for a starting job at inside linebacker this season.

U.Va. coach Al Groh, through a school spokesman, declined to comment yesterday.
- Jeff White

 

Southeastern satisfied with a dozen members '
Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese makes a financial assurance to Miami in his bid to keep the Hurricanes.
By MARK BERMAN
THE ROANOKE TIMES

Virginia Tech fans hoping to make a soft landing in the Southeastern Conference won't find solace in the annual SEC meetings this week.
SEC athletic directors said Thursday that expansion has not been discussed at the meetings, which began Tuesday and conclude today. They said expansion won't be discussed today, either.

"I just don't think expansion is high on this league's agenda," Florida AD Jeremy Foley said from the Destin, Fla., hotel that is holding the meetings.

The Big East could lose its Bowl Championship Series berth if Miami, Syracuse and Boston College bolt for the ACC. That prospect has some Tech fans pining for the SEC.

"I don't think anybody's had any discussions here at all about anything to do with that type of thing," Tennessee AD Doug Dickey said. "Nobody is doing any groundbreaking here about any expansion of the SEC. I don't see that as being an item of serious issue for us at all. We have a very, very strong league. There is nothing going on about any of that."

The SEC already has 12 members and holds a lucrative football title game. SEC athletic directors say there has been no talk of expanding to 14 members and adding Big East members Virginia Tech and West Virginia.

"Virginia Tech and West Virginia and a bunch of schools are fine schools; I just think this league is happy with 12 teams," Foley said.

"We've got the right number," Vanderbilt AD Todd Turner said. Expansion "is not even cocktail conversation."

Foley said the SEC wouldn't want to expand just so it could have more members than the ACC.

"If you were to expand the league, there would have to be a compelling reason to do it financially," Foley said. "You just don't expand the league for the sake of expanding it. There would have to be value added in terms of television contracts and bowl opportunities. You don't want to have a situation where the money stays the same and instead of dividing it by 12 you're dividing it by 14."

The Big East is trying to persuade Miami to stay put. Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese sent a letter to Miami athletic director Paul Dee this week, promising if Miami falls short of $9 million in total Big East revenue-sharing in any of the next five years, the league will make up the difference.

Rutgers athletic director Robert Mulcahy said Thursday the letter is confirmation of a proposal passed at the Big East meetings last week. He said all the other Big East football schools, including Syracuse and BC, agreed to the guarantee.

Mulcahy said if Miami's revenue-sharing take is, for example, only $8 million, the league would take $1 million out of the other football schools' combined shares. That would mean Rutgers, Tech and the other football schools would reap less in revenue-sharing than they were entitled to, but Mulcahy said it wouldn't be a hardship.

"You just make sure they get to theirs before you split the rest. So it's not really going to cost anybody an awful lot," Mulcahy said. "If it's $1 million and you spread it over seven schools, it's just a little bit. Plus the BCS payments are going up."

The Big East divides its bowl money based on how good a bowl to which each team went. The Big East system is good for Miami in most seasons but makes Miami very reliant on the windfall of a major bowl. The ACC distributes bowl money equally to all its members.

"Miami will get close to $10 million [in revenue-sharing] by the end of this [fiscal] year. They're worried that in a bad [football] year they won't get to $9 million. So we took care of that," Mulcahy said. "It's an effort to take away the money issue."

The Big East guarantee is $9 million so the league can measure up to the ACC. The ACC gross payout last year was about $9.4 million per school. Virginia's actual net revenue from the ACC last year was $7.8 million, once league fees and bowl-expenses reimbursement money were taken out of the pot.

ACC commissioner John Swofford, Florida State athletic director Dave Hart and North Carolina State AD Lee Fowler toured the University of Miami on Thursday, The Associated Press reported.

Mulcahy expects Miami to make a decision in the next two weeks.

 

MIAMI - The University of Miami today takes another step toward a potential move to the Atlantic Coast Conference when president Donna Shalala meets with ACC officials, including commissioner John Swofford, on the school's Coral Gables campus.

But the Big East presidents might get the last word.

According to an official with knowledge of the discussions, Shalala has invited Big East presidents to meet with her Wednesday on campus. At least five presidents are expected to attend, including those from Connecticut and Georgetown.

Today, several ACC officials will complete a two-day visit to South Florida, which includes a tour of the UM campus and the Orange Bowl. Afterward, Swofford, UM athletic director Paul Dee and Florida State athletic director Dave Hart will address reporters.

Several UM and ACC sources said they expect the Hurricanes eventually will accept the ACC's offer. That's partly because of academic and geographic reasons, partly because it would help UM's secondary sports and partly because Dee has told Shalala that Miami needs to make the move for financial reasons. Syracuse and Boston College would join Miami if the Hurricanes leave.

But the sources cautioned it's not certain UM will leave the Big East because of two recent developments:

• Shalala has been surprised by the public outcry from U.S. senators, Big East presidents and others about the damage Miami would do to the Big East if it leaves the conference.

Still, she wasn't happy Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese tried to lay a guilt trip on Miami during a May 19 news conference. While Tranghese's comments aren't expected to affect Shalala's decision, she preferred the matter be handled privately.

• Shalala was somewhat surprised the Big East has offered to guarantee UM a $9 million annual payment each of the next five years. UM typically makes that or more in years it wins the conference's football championship, but between $2 million and $3 million less in years it doesn't.

Last year, the ACC paid each member $9.7 million, but nobody knows for sure how much that number would increase -- if at all -- if the conference adds Miami.

It was also learned Thursday that UM and FSU prefer to be placed in different ACC divisions, but intend to continue playing a regular-season game every year.

UM and FSU want the loser of their regular-season game to have a chance to claim the ACC title and an automatic BCS bowl bid by winning a conference title game.

The prospect of playing each other twice a season doesn't particularly concern either school administration, a source said.

According to one official, Dee's biggest reason for wanting to join the ACC is because of what it could do financially for UM's basketball program, which lost $1.17 million in the 2001-02 season and has fallen short of financial projections in its new arena.

UM, which moved into the Convocation Center in January, sold 2,500 season tickets -- well short of the internal projection of 7,000. Also, no corporation has stepped forward to purchase naming rights to the arena.

Coach Perry Clark's seven-year, $5.35 million contract has become a burden on the university, especially in light of UM finishing 11-17 last season. Clark's job is expected to be in jeopardy if UM finishes with a losing record next season.

But if UM fires him after next season, the school would be required to pay him the final three years and $2.5 million of his contract. Increased potential revenue in the ACC would help lessen that burden.

ACC officials will visit the Boston College and Syracuse campuses next week. After that, the ACC is expected to issue formal invitations to those schools and UM.

Big East preps for life on other side
The league looks at splitting its football and basketball interests to remain viable.
May 30, 2003
By Donnie Webb
Staff writer

Big East Conference commissioner Mike Tranghese is reportedly moving forward with plans to move on without Miami, Syracuse and Boston College.

The league is developing a plan to replace the three schools and separate football and basketball interests. The two groups would operate as something of a federation under the Big East umbrella.

Each side might consist of eight or nine teams. In basketball, there are proposals to conduct some crossover games with everyone participating in a postseason tournament. Louisville and Central Florida are possible football targets. Basketball targets include several Atlantic 10 and Conference USA schools including Xavier, Massachusetts, DePaul, Marquette, Richmond and Dayton, among others.

In the meantime, the Atlantic Coast Conference welcome tour started Thursday in Miami with the first of three visits to Big East campuses targeted for acquisition.

A delegation of ACC officials led by commissioner John Swofford arrived at the University of Miami on Thursday for two days of meetings. Miami president Donna Shalala was not present Thursday but is expected to meet with the ACC group today.

Swofford and Miami athletic director Paul Dee are expected to hold a news conference this afternoon.

The ACC group will visit Boston College Sunday and Monday before heading to Syracuse where it has meetings Tuesday and Wednesday.

Syracuse is expected to receive Swofford, ACC associate commissioner Fred Barakat, Maryland athletic director Debbie Yow, North Carolina faculty athletics representative Jack Evans and possibly North Carolina State athletic director Lee Fowler.

As part of ACC bylaws that require the visits, the host schools must pick up the travel bills on the guests.

Tranghese made a last-ditch proposal this week to keep Miami from leading a three-team breakaway to the ACC.

Tranghese faxed a letter on Tuesday to Dee. It said the Big East was prepared to guarantee Miami $9 million per season to remain in the league through the 2007 season. That's the same year the Big East contract with ABC and ESPN ends. Every league athletic director signed onto the offer including Syracuse's Jake Crouthamel and Boston College's Gene DeFilippo.

A Syracuse official declined comment Thursday on the report. Most believe the offer fell on deaf ears and that the Hurricanes continue to make plans to join the ACC.

Syracuse University chancellor Kenneth "Buzz" Shaw continues to have discussions with Big East Conference presidents, said a school spokesman.
 

SEC to divvy up record $101 million
By TONY BARNHART
Atlanta Journal-Constitution Staff Writer
Destin, Fla. --

Roy Kramer may be gone as the SEC's commissioner, but his legacy will be felt in a very big way today when the league's annual spring meetings conclude at this Florida resort. Thanks to the long-term television contracts negotiated by Kramer, the 12 conference schools are expected to share a record $101 million from football and basketball revenues this year.

That dollar figure for shared revenue is expected to be the highest for any conference in the history of college athletics. It is anticipated that the Big Ten will be second by as much as $15 million. A year ago the SEC shared $95.7 million with its members.

It was another good year in the revenue-producing sports as the SEC placed seven teams in bowls and six in the NCAA men's basketball tournament.

A year ago almost $70 million of the $95.7 million came from football (regular season) TV, bowls and other football-related enterprises.

The money will be coming in well into the future. Several years ago, at the height of the SEC's popularity, Kramer negotiated television contracts with CBS, ESPN, and Jefferson-Pilot that will be in place through the 2007-2008 academic year.

"Roy Kramer was a visionary and was able to put this conference on a solid financial footing for a long time to come," said Mississippi State athletics director Larry Templeton.

The SEC has had, and continues to have, its fair share of problems off the field. The league has been involved in 13 major NCAA infractions cases since 1990, three times more than any other conference. Investigations are currently under way at Georgia (men's basketball) and Mississippi State (football).

But in that same span the SEC's financial fortunes have grown exponentially. In 1990, its 10 members shared $16.30 million in revenues. Few, if any, in this conference thought that the figure would top the $100 million mark just 13 years later.

 

And survey says: It's about money

As the ACC continues its membership infomercial and the Big East forecasts the decline of Western Civilization and Miami's Donna Shalala dazzles the crowd with those well-practiced presidential cabinet dance steps, somebody is now claiming we have gotten it all wrong.

No reason to lose yourself within an Isaac Asimov novel this summer. Don't need science fiction when you have Jack Dunn, a spokesman for Boston College.

In response to accusations by nine U.S. senators that the proposed defection of Miami, B.C. and Syracuse to the ACC would be nothing more than a sellout -- gasp! -- Dunn looked up from his calculator and responded with a straight face: "Our decision to consider the ACC invitation is based exclusively on what is in the best interest of Boston College -- athletically, academically and financially."

Right. It's not just about the money. It's common knowledge that Boston College president Rev. William P. Leahy wants to be in the same conference as Florida State because he's heard great things about the Tallahassee Hooters. Shalala has long sought to rub elbows with the gang at the Clemson Esso Club.

The NCAA merely shuffled its bowl system, expanded its basketball tournament to 64 teams and plays any Division I football game of significance under lights out of the spirit of competition. It had nothing to do with money. It all makes sense now.

Earth to Dunn: The only difference between big-time college athletics and prostitution is only one is legal outside of Nevada.

Big East commissioner Mike "Huggy Bear" Tranghese isn't offering Shalala free microbiology textbooks if Miami stays. Tranghese reportedly is guaranteeing a minimum $9 million annual payout if Miami doesn't bolt for the ACC or otherwise auction itself off on eBay in the next five years.

That payment would be guaranteed even if the conference did not secure a BCS bid. To translate: Even if it's a WorldCom-like financial year for the Big East, Miami still gets $9 million. Temple, Rutgers and Virginia Tech get $1.27 and an autographed copy of "Jim Boeheim: My Favorite Love Songs."

Just wondering. Does the $9 million come in the form of a cashier's check? Or will everybody just take turns stuffing $1 bills in Miami's waistband?

An after-column mint, perhaps

You know the Big East is getting desperate when it's trying to play on Shalala's emotions (and gender) by claiming that Miami's departure could destroy progress that has been made in women's athletics.