"... before we move on, it’s worth pausing to ask
what happened to the seven ACC men’s teams that reached the NCAA
Tournament, only to suffer a collective stumble.
We posed just that question to seven ACC coaches -- four head coaches and three assistants -- and got a variety of answers and perhaps a glimmering of insight."
“I think it’s a number of things, I don’t think it’s just one,” said a coach, an explanation that for now may be as good as any.
Since the NCAA Tournament changed
its rules in 1980, eliminating its long-held team limits on bids per
conference (one through 1974, then two through 1979), the ACC had never
gone two straight years without a Final Four team -- until now. In
fact, the league averaged one Final Four team per year from 1980-2005,
balancing its five seasons without a representative in the semifinals
with five in which it filled half the four-team bracket by itself. Heading into the 2007 NCAA Tournament, the ACC also had put at least
two teams in the Sweet 16 every single year under the new (post-1979)
rules -- until now. In one 12-year stretch, from 1984-95, the
conference actually advanced four teams into the Sweet 16 an
astonishing seven times. This year, despite a league-record seven NCAA Tournament bids, the
ACC fell apart in the postseason -- for the second time in a row. The ACC only looks bad in comparison to its usual strength.
Continue reading "The ACC is judged by its previous ACComplishments" »
While a lackluster showing by ACC men's teams in this year's NCAA Tournament may have hurt the league's basketball prestige, the financial pain may be felt for the next six years.
Under the NCAA's basketball revenue distribution plan, a conference's annual share is based on the number of teams in the NCAA Tournament and how successful those league's teams are on the court over a six-year period. With a record seven teams awarded berths this year, the ACC was positioned for a nice windfall.
But Duke and Georgia Tech lost in the opening round. Virginia, Virginia Tech, Maryland and Boston College fell in the second round. North Carolina won three games to reach the regional final, then frittered away an 11-point, second-half lead Sunday against Georgetown and lost.
For the second straight year, the ACC is without a team in the Final Four. In NCAA financial parlance, that means more "units" lost for the league.
[CA, N&O]
The league's financial statements from the tax year ending June 30, 2006, its first with 12 members and the resulting championship football game, indicate an increase of nearly $20 million in gross revenue -- a 15.4 percent jump -- over the previous tax year.
The football television money is the most important single increase, having gone from $23,176,000 in the 2003 season, the final one with nine members, to $35,750,000 in 2005-06.
The ACC reported it disbursed 87.55 percent of its total revenue to its members, a slight decrease from the 88.60 figure of the previous year. The difference is attributable to start-up administrative costs associated with the football championship game.
Down by 16 points early in the second half, the Tar Heels suddenly shifted into another gear and startled Southern California 74-64 Friday night in the East Regional semifinals. North Carolina reached the round of eight for the second time under coach Roy Williams, who won the 2005 title with the Tar Heels. [theACC] [ESPN]
If the seedings were right, this is the best Elite Eight since the field expanded to 64 teams in 1985. [Tar Heel Fan]
K.C. Rivers had a career-high 29 points and Clemson advanced to the NIT final four with a 74-70 win over Syracuse on Wednesday night. All four top seeds won at home. [theACC] CU will play AF on the 27th [Bracket]
Four ACC teams [NC, NCSU, FSU, and Duke] are in the Women's Sweet 16 [Bracket]
UVA won while VPI lost in the Women's NIT. [theACC]
With a 6-6 NCAA mark heading into the Sweet 16, the ACC is in jeopardy of posting just its second losing record (along with 1987) since the rules were changed in 1980 to allow unlimited bids per conference.
[WRAL]
Actually, if you crunch the numbers, you'll find the ACC has been much less dominant in the NCAA tournament in the past 12 seasons than in the 12 seasons before that. From 1984 to 1995, the conference produced 40 Sweet 16 teams -- and had four in one year eight times. From 1996 to 2007, however, it has produced 26 Sweet 16 teams -- and never had more than three in a year.
Google for "ACC" and you'll find a covey of articles trying to deduce the significance of the ACC getting 7 teams in for the first time ever, and now being down to 1. Most are putting too much signficance on one year's results.
Carolina March looks at how each team lost, to put things in a less alarmist perspective.
Despite career highs and a combined 47 points from Greg Paulus and Josh McRoberts, the Duke men's basketball team ended its season with a heartbreaking 79-77 loss to VCU in the first round of the 2007 NCAA Tournament here at the HBSC Arena. Paulus finished with 25 points and McRoberts recorded a double-double with 22 points and 12 rebounds.
[Duke AA]
Tyler Hansbrough had 21 points and 10 rebounds to help the Tar Heels beat Eastern Kentucky 86-65 in the first round, giving coach Roy Williams an NCAA-record 18 straight years with at least one tournament victory.
[theACC]
In the NIT, FSU won its second game. NC State and Clemson won their first. [Bracket]
ACC Basketblog Friday roundup
Florida State: The Seminoles had zero bad losses -- all 12 of their L's were to teams in the RPI Top 50 -- but they only won five games against teams in that category. They beat Florida in nonconference play and won at Duke in ACC play for their best wins.
When Clemson was the last remaining undefeated team in the country at 17-0, who would have imagined they'd miss the NCAA cut.
[AG, ESPN]
From 1981 to 2005, the league produced an incredible 25 Final Four teams.
Dave Sez thinks the ACC teams may attrite rapidly:
Seven teams for the ACC could be a trap. Only two, UNC and UVA, are seeded to reach the Sweet Sixteen, and we all know that Virginia isn't really good enough to warrant a 4-seed. And outside of Carolina, none of the teams can claim they are going in on a high note. I really hope it's not a first-weekend bloodbath.
Clemson, N.C. State and Florida State made the NIT field [Bracket], meaning only Miami and Wake Forest out of the ACC didn't make postseason play.
State Fans Nation is none too happy about a beat-up NCSU (the Cinderella of the ACCT) having to travel to play Drexel Tuesday in the NIT.
Continue reading "ACC gets 7 spots. Deserving FSU snubbed" »
But in May 2000, the ACC unanimously approved Tampa as the site of this year’s tournament. Some ACC officials suggested this week that Hart wielded his school’s considerable football power to get the ACC’s attention. During the 1990s, Florida State had one of the nation’s most successful college football programs. No school won more games — or brought more money to the ACC’s coffers — than FSU.
League and school officials who declined to be identified acknowledge that Florida State exerted pressure, however subtle, on the ACC. "Did Florida State put the squeeze to (the ACC)?" asked one league official. "There’s probably some truth to that. When you have a school that’s been as successful as Florida State was, you can hardly ignore them."
Said Hart: "Maybe (our football success) was there in the back of the ACC people’s minds, but I didn’t sense it, and I certainly didn’t flex it. Eventually, I think people saw the bigger picture."
The idea of bringing the league's marquee event to
Florida, first proposed by Florida State director of athletics Dave
Hart in the mid-1990s, was not an easy sell.
[BT, Times-Union]
For the first time in ages, ACC tickets are being sold to the public, and sales in Tampa are slow.
NO PUNCHES PULLED: The ACC coaches' teleconference Monday featured a testy exchange between Gregg Doyel, a national columnist for CBS SportsLine.com and former Times-Dispatch summer intern, and Duke's Mike Krzyzewski.
Krzyzewski said he holds his players to high standards of conduct and that, if he believed Gerald Henderson had intentionally tried to hurt Tyler Hansbrough in the Duke-North Carolina game Sunday night, he would have suspended Henderson for more than one game. After hearing that, Doyel asked Coach K how many games he'd suspended former Duke great Christian Laettner for "stomping" Kentucky's Aminu Timberlake in the 1992 NCAA tournament.
Krzyzewski: "Well, first of all, would you call that a stomp?"
Doyel: "Absolutely. I've seen it over and over."
Krzyzewski: "OK, well then my judgment and yours differ."
Doyel: "I've got some glasses. I mean, are you serious?"
Krzyzewski: "I'm not going to get in [it] with you, because you would always want something controversial."
Doyel: "I would just like the truth sometimes, that's all."
Krzyzewski: "Believe me, there's nobody who likes the truth more than me. After the season, we'll talk about 1992. I'd rather talk about 2007 right now."
[Richmond Times-Dispatch]
ACC Commissioner John Swofford said the league would not further discipline Henderson. [Star News]
Greg Doyel blames Coach K.
Tar Heel Fan has a frame-by-frame.
Boston College senior forward Jared Dudley, who for much of the season led the Atlantic Coast Conference in scoring, rebounding, and minutes played and was generally considered the heart and soul of the Eagles' basketball team, today was named the ACC's player of the year in a ballot conducted by the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association. [Boston Globe]
Tech's Javaris Crittenton was a unanimous pick to the All-ACC Freshman team, as well as the third All-ACC team.
Thad Young got honorable mention on the Freshman team.
Mario West got honorable mention on the All-ACC Defensive Team.
The #1 team consisted of the top 5 scorers. [News-Record]
[GT AA] [theACC.com]
The ACC men's basketball tournament is always one of the toughest tickets in sports, but response to this year's event in Tampa, Fla., has been decidedly lukewarm.
This year's tournament, to be held at St. Pete Times Forum, is seen as a nod to Florida State and Miami, which have never seen the event held in their home state. It marks only the ninth time the 53-year-old event has been held outside North Carolina, the home base of four conference schools.
The football playoff in Jax has the same problem, when FSU and/or Miami fans are not excited about it.
The five teams with double-digit ACC wins are the most in the league's 54-year history - and even factoring in that there are 12 teams on a 16-game schedule where there once were seven playing 12 games, it's still a big number. Plus, the top seed has just 11 wins, the fewest since the conference schedule went to 16 games in 1991-92; its five losses are the most for a top seed in 22 years.
Half the teams in the ACC were counted out at some point because of injuries, suspensions, cold streaks, anything - Boston College, Florida State, Clemson, Georgia Tech, even Duke. And some other school, whose name escapes me.
Kyle Visser scored 17 points and hit the clinching free throws with 10 seconds left as Wake Forest spoiled Virginia's chance to wrap up the Atlantic Coast Conference title outright with a 78-72 win over the Cavaliers on Saturday. [theACC.com] UVA failed to wrap up the regular season title.
Mike Jones scored 21 points in his final home game Saturday to lead No. 24 Maryland to a 79-59 win over North Carolina State. [theACC.com]
Al Thornton scored a career-high 45 points to lead Florida State to a 98-90 victory over Miami in the final regular season game for both teams on Saturday. [theACC.com]
Sunday games:
Carolina March lays out the senarios
details in the continuation
Sean Singletary scored 17 points and Virginia gained sweet revenge against No. 21 Virginia Tech on Thursday night, beating the Hokies 69-56 and moving into first place in the Atlantic Coast Conference. [theACC]
Thaddeus Young scored a career-high 25 points and Javaris Crittenton handed out 11 assists to help Georgia Tech beat No. 8 North Carolina 84-77 on Thursday night. [theACC]
GT, at 7-8, is 7th in the ACC Standings, just behind 8-7 Duke.
The ACC will have no teams in the Top 10 in the next ranking.
There are no men's games tonight
see continuation for Women's ACC tournament action
Mike Jones scored 25 points and D.J. Strawberry had a pair of baskets during the decisive second-half spurt Wednesday night to lead No. 24 Maryland past No. 14 Duke 85-77. [theACC] [Turtle Soup]
Vernon Hamilton scored six of his 10 points in overtime to help Clemson to a 74-70 win over Miami on Wednesday night. [theACC]
Brandon Costner scored 19 points and North Carolina State used a hot start to beat Wake Forest 73-66 on Wednesday night and escape the Atlantic Coast Conference cellar. [NCSU AA]
Tonight:
details in the continuation
Race for regular season championship
Tonight in the ACC:
details in the continuation
ACC Standings
ACC tournament seeding procedures
As the voting deadline for ACC basketball honors approaches, the races are too close to call on several fronts. On my current rookie team, the two Heels are joined by Duke's Jon Scheyer, N.C. State's Brandon Costner and Georgia Tech's Javaris Crittenton.
[CT, N&O]
THURSDAY: No. 5 Florida State vs. No. 12 Wake Forest, 11 a.m.; No. 8 Virginia vs. No. 9 Clemson, 3 p.m.; No. 7 Virginia Tech vs. No. 10 Boston College, 6 p.m.; No. 6 Georgia Tech vs. No. 11 Miami, 8:30 p.m.
FRIDAY: No. 4 N.C. State vs. Florida State-Wake Forest winner, 11 a.m.; No. 1 Duke vs. Virginia-Clemson winner, 3 p.m.; No. 2 North Carolina vs. Virginia Tech-Boston College winner, 6 p.m.; No. 3 Maryland vs. Georgia Tech-Miami winner, 8:30 p.m.
SATURDAY: N.C. State-Florida State-Wake Forest winner vs. Duke-Virginia-Clemson winner, 2 p.m.; N. Carolina-Virginia Tech-Boston College winner vs. Maryland-Georgia Tech-Miami winner, 4:30 p.m.
D.J. Strawberry scored a career-high 27 points, and Maryland rallied from a 12-point deficit in the second half to beat No. 5 North Carolina 89-87 Sunday and extend their winning streak to five games.
North Carolina (24-5, 10-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) had a chance to force overtime with 3.5 seconds left, but Brandan Wright missed the first of two free throws and the Tar Heels failed to control the rebound of his second misfire.
As the final buzzer sounded, fans rushed the court to celebrate Maryland's first win over North Carolina in six tries since Jan. 14, 2004.
Mike Jones scored 18 points and James Gist had 12 for the Terrapins (22-7, 8-6). Maryland trailed 77-65 with 7:14 left before Jones scored nine points in a 16-3 run to give the Terrapins their first lead.
[AP]
Duke beat St. John's 67-50.
No ACC games Monday.
... since 1954, the ACC tournament has showcased the league's shooting stars and iconic coaches sharing their shining moments and unforgettable disappointments before packed houses. It has shaped college basketball, from Tobacco Road to New York to Bloomington, Ind., to Lexington, Ky., to Lawrence, Kan., to Westwood, Calif. Now, 54 years later, virtually all leagues have a postseason tournament, and the ACC provides the gold standard.
Skip Pulley calls it the Atlantic Coast Creature.
Jon Scheyer scored 18 points to help No. 18 Duke win its 21st straight over Clemson 71-66 on Thursday night - without any late help with the game clock.
With an ACC record of 5-8, CU's only route to the NCAAs is via winning the ACCT. That 17-0 start seems in the distant past now. CU has lost 8 of its last 10.
Seven ACC teams could still make it. MD, with 21 wins, might have made it, even though it's not yet won 8 ACC games. GT is on the bubble, needing at least one regular season win. UVA looks like our best chance.
Home-court advantage was evident on Wednesday night as all five home teams claimed victory -- Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, Miami, Maryland and North Carolina.
[theACC]
Eight ACC teams can still finish 8-8 in the ACC with 20 wins. But probably only six, maybe seven, teams will be selected for the NCAA.
Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski picked up his 700th victory with the Blue Devils during a 71-62 win over Georgia Tech on Sunday afternoon at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
D.J. Strawberry had 22 points and Maryland reached 20 victories for the first time in three years with an 82-66 win over Clemson on Sunday.
... the hot-shooting Wolfpack came out from the beginning of the game and blitzed the Hokies, 81-56, to complete a season sweep of the once-ranked opponent.
[theACC]
SM @ Rivals breaks down the ACC.
GT and Clemson are now tied for 7th and 8th place in the ACC standings with 5-7 records.
There are no ACC games today or tomorrow.
"Keystone Jacket's" analysis of bubble teams in the ACC is in the continuation
There were no ACC games Friday night.
Today:
details in the continuation
Duke, CU, MD, GT, and FSU all have ACC records between 6-6 and 5-7, and are jockeying for 5th ranking in the ACC standings. Most expect the ACC to send 7-9 teams to the NCAAs.
There were not ACC games Thursday night and none are scheduled for Friday.
The Saturday and Sunday games are listed in the continuation.
GT visits Duke 1PM Sunday (CBS). A win would tie GT and Duke for 5th-6th place in the ACC at 6-6.
Tuesday:
Duke beat BC, 78-70
MD left the Pack behind, 85-70
WF squeezed by CU, 67-65
CU, MD, and GT are now tied for the 4-7 spots in the ACC standings.
Next ACC action is Saturday
Tuesday:
Wednesday:
GT is tied with Duke at 6th-7th in ACC in the ACC Standings.
Both have 5-6 ACC records. Duke has one more win overall.
Duke is out of the Top 25 in all polls. It's out of the AP for the first time in 11 years. UNC is #4 and BC is #21.
No games last night.
Tonight:
details in continuation
UNC dominated WF, VPI easily upset UVA, and lowly UM routed NCSU. Closest game was by 15.
State Fans Nation found the Pack's performance poor.
UNC and BC lead the ACC with 8-2 in the ACC Standings.
Sunday games:
details in the continuation
There were no ACC games Friday.
Saturday games are listed in the continuation.
BC, UVA, UNC, and VPI&SU lead the ACC standings. CU, Duke, and FSU are .500. GT is 4-6.
ESPN's Mark Schlabach writes about UVA's surprising position and how it got there.
Jared Dudley scored 26 points to lead Boston College to a 75-68 victory over Miami.
K.C. Rivers scored 17 points, his highest total in nearly a month, and Clemson hung on to defeat Florida State 71-58.
Freshman Brandan Wright scored 19 points while Tyler Hansbrough added 16 to lead the fifth-ranked Tar Heels past No. 16 Duke 79-73, earning their second straight win in Cameron Indoor Stadium.
No games are scheduled for tonight.
GT is 8th in the ACC Standings with a 4-6 record.
UVA beat MD (to lead the ACC at 8-2) while GT beat NCSU.
GT, at 4-6, jumps ahead of NCSU and MD to 8th in the ACC Standings.
Tonight:
see continuation for details
Tuesday games:
details in the continuation
Carolina March shows the home and away records for ACC teams and notes that, these days, you just have to win at home and split on the road.
Al Thornton scored 21 points and Florida State upset No. 8 Duke 68-67 on Sunday to snap a 15-game losing streak at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Toney Douglas added 15 points and Uche Echefu added 12 for the Seminoles (17-6, 5-4 Atlantic Coast Conference), who overcame a 17-point deficit to claim their first victory on the Blue Devils' fabled home floor.
Duke had two late chances after David McClure rebounded a Douglas miss with about 30 seconds left. The Blue Devils brought it downcourt and called timeout with 7.7 seconds left to set up their final play. DeMarcus Nelson inbounded the ball to Greg Paulus, and he missed a layup.
A jump ball was called on the rebound, and the possession arrow pointed toward Duke. Josh McRoberts took the inbounds pass in the lane with about 2 seconds left, and his floater rimmed out. Nelson's stickback attempt bounced off the rim as time expired.
Paulus finished with a career-high 23 points for Duke (18-5, 5-4), which has lost two straight in the final seconds and now must beat rival North Carolina on Wednesday to avoid their first three-game losing streak since 1999.
There are no ACC games Monday.Four of five home teams won, including an NCSU upset of UNC.
With a 3-6 record, GT is 10th in the ACC standings.
FSU is at Duke at 2PM today.
details in the continuation
Gavin Grant scored all 16 of his points in the second half Wednesday night and Ben McCauley scored 20 points on 10-for-14 shooting, leading North Carolina State to a 70-59 victory against No. 16 Virginia Tech. [AP]
Tyler Hansbrough scored 22 points and grabbed 13 rebounds Wednesday night to lead third-ranked North Carolina past Miami 105-64. [AP]
Jared Dudley scored 21 points and Boston College set a school record with 14 made 3-pointers en route to a 94-60 nonconference win over Hartford on Wednesday night. [AP]
The eighth-ranked Blue Devils (5-2, 18-3) visit John Paul Jones Arena tonight for a game that ESPN will televise nationally. The Cavaliers (5-2, 13-6) are not ranked, but they're coming off back-to-back ACC road wins, and their confidence is soaring. Duke is the only ACC team the Cav Seniors have never beaten. Unless they meet in the ACC Tournament or the NCAA, this is their last chance.
As of 31JAN007, GT and UM are tied at 2-6 for 10th place in the ACC. WF is 2-7.
Tuesday ACC games:
details in the continuation
At 2-5, GT and UM are tied for the 10th and 11th spots in the ACC Standings.
GeeDell.com predicts (before Tuesday's GT/WF game) NINE ACC TEAMS will make the dance, including GT, saying: "That's what happens when you're the best conference in the country."
Al Thornton scored 25 points and grabbed 11 rebounds while Toney Douglas scored 10 straight points late in the second half as Florida State defeated Wake Forest 74-66 Saturday, handing the Demon Deacons their sixth straight loss. [theACC, 27JAN07]
Freshman Ty Lawson scored a career-high 18 points and No. 4 North Carolina routed 17th-ranked Arizona 92-64 Saturday, handing Lute Olson his worst home loss in 24 seasons as coach of the Wildcats. It also ended Arizona's 29-game home winning streak against non-conference opponents, the fourth-longest in the nation. [theACC, 27JAN07]
Sunday games:
GT remains tied for 9th in the ACC Standings.
details in the continuation
David McClure hit a layup as time expired to give No. 10 Duke a 68-66 victory over No. 19 Clemson on Thursday night.
McClure's basket capped a wild final 13 seconds for the Blue Devils (17-3, 4-2 Atlantic Coast Conference), who blew a five-point lead before answering with the sophomore's stunning basket.
With the score tied at 66 after Vernon Hamilton erased the deficit with a layup and a 3-pointer, Josh McRoberts inbounded the ball with 4.4 seconds left to freshman Jon Scheyer. Scheyer pushed the ball near midcourt, then sent a pass ahead to McClure.
Saturday games listed in the continuation
McClure, who had a step on Hamilton, laid it up over the outstretched arms of K.C. Rivers for the win as the horn sounded.
Duke's players immediately spilled onto the floor in celebration and mobbed McClure, while Clemson's players walked back toward their bench in stunned silence.
The ACC boards are in an uproar over this.
BOSTON (AP) -- Sean Marshall hit the game-winning 3-pointer over two defenders at the buzzer, finishing with 22 points and 10 rebounds on Tuesday night to lead Boston College to an 85-82 victory over Florida State.
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) - Zabian Dowdell scored a career high 30 points to help No. 24 Virginia Tech beat Miami 92-85 on Tuesday night.
GT is 7th in the ACC Standings.
Virginia, Florida State, Georgia Tech and Maryland are still looking for their first conference win away from home. Virginia and Georgia Tech are looking for their first road win, period.
Both the Cavaliers and Yellow Jackets are on the road tonight. Virginia plays at N.C. State, seemingly a prime opportunity. Georgia Tech is at Maryland.
[EM, Virginian Pilot, 24JAN07]
UNC visits WF.
details in the continuation
There were no men's basketball games Monday night.
Tonight, FSU is at BC and VPI is at UM.
UNC remains #4 in the polls. Duke is #10. Clemson, and VPI are further down. GT received 7-8 votes.
details in the continuation
Greg Paulus scored 17 points and Josh McRoberts had 11 points in a solid all-around performance to lead No. 14 Duke past Wake Forest in men's basketball, 62-40, on Thursday night in Durham, N.C.
The Blue Devils (15-3, 2-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) have won two straight since consecutive league losses to Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech.
No ACC games are scheduled for Friday night, but there's a busy slate Saturday.
BC has a big lead in the standings (see continuation), but just had two players suspended.
Although the ACC still is known generally as a "basketball league," its impact on the NBA is beginning to wane.
Just the opposite is taking place in football.
Desperate to escape the Atlantic Coast Conference basement, the Duke Blue Devils shot their way out.
Freshman Jon Scheyer scored a season-high 25 points and the No. 11 Blue Devils shot a season-best 68 percent from the field Sunday for their first conference victory, 85-63 over Miami.
The Blue Devils (14-3, 1-2) had been off to their worst start in the league since 1996.
Miami (9-9, 2-2) lost for the fifth time in six games.
The SEC is widely regarded as the nation's top conference for football. The ACC, meanwhile, hasn't had its best season. Perennial powers Miami and Florida State each finished 6-6 in the regular season, and no ACC teams are ranked in the top 10. At No. 14, the Hokies (10-2) are the conference's highest-ranked team.
"I think everybody connected here has great respect for the SEC - I don't think there's any question about that - but I think we also feel like we got a great league in the ACC," Beamer said. "So I think representing the ACC in this situation, you just want to go play well.
The SEC is widely regarded as the nation's top conference for football. The ACC, meanwhile, hasn't had its best season. Perennial powers Miami and Florida State each finished 6-6 in the regular season, and no ACC teams are ranked in the top 10. At No. 14, the Hokies (10-2) are the conference's highest-ranked team.
"I think everybody connected here has great respect for the SEC - I don't think there's any question about that - but I think we also feel like we got a great league in the ACC," Beamer said. "So I think representing the ACC in this situation, you just want to go play well.
Clemson faces Kentucky (which upset UGhA) in the Music City Bowl on the 29th, giving us two more head-to-head games in comparing the SEC and the ACC for this season.
[Richmond Times-Dispatch, 12/17/06]
A controversial coaching decision had fans booing -- see continuation
[theACC]
[LINK] News-Record
The ACC can anticipate at least a 16 percent increase in bowl revenue in the 2006-07 postseason as compared to 2005-06, preliminary estimates made available on Sunday suggest.
[LINK] Mark Long, AP
The Atlantic Coast Conference has improved competition, boosted television ratings and increased revenue since completing its two-year expansion from nine to 12 teams.
The league also has gained ground - some would even say passed - the elite power conferences like the SEC, the Big 12 and the Big Ten.
ACC commissioner John Swofford said that adding Miami, Virginia Tech and Boston College "has to be termed a tremendous success."
[LINK] linked to be added
The ACC is meeting at the Sawgrass Marriott in Jacksonville to prepare and preview the upcoming football season. Two players from each team are attending and were interviewed by about 200 sportswriters this weekend.
Among other things, it's expected to rearrange the bowl selection order, to correct problems experience last season (see earlier WR post).
[LINK] theACC.com
CLEVELAND, OHIO - On June 29, 2006, the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), the U.S. Sports Academy and USA Today announced the final standings of the 2005-06 U.S. Sports Academy Directors' Cup. The Atlantic Coast Conference was the only conference in the nation to rank all its member institutions in the top 55 of the final standings.
GT ranked 50th, above only BC in the ACC. Having only 17 sports works against us.
UNC ranked 4th overall.
[LINK] Golden Tornado
Nathan covers the "important" stuff, so the rest of us don't have to.
Nine Atlantic Coast Conference schools were recognized for graduating at least 70 percent of their football student-athletes according to the American Football Coaches Association annual Academic Achievement Awards data, released today.
Boston College and Duke were among six Division I-A institutions with a graduation rate of 90 percent or better.
Conference Breakdown: Atlantic Coast (9), Big East (4), Big 12 (4), Big 10 (3), Conference USA (3), Independents (1), Mid-American (1), Mountain West (1), Pacific 10 (1), Southeastern (1), Sun Belt (1).
Continue reading "AFCA honors 9 ACC schools for grad rates" »
[LINK] Tony Barnhart, AJC
Amelia Island, Fla. — As the ACC gathered for its annual spring meetings, the league was celebrating some numbers that proved its controversial decision to expand has turned out to be a very wise move.
[LINK] theACC.com
Impressive statistic: 38.5% of ACC S-As maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher
