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Oct. 2, 2003
1. The 2004-2005 ACC football schedule was just released. What do you think about Virginia’s home schedule? Away schedule?
In total, I believe the University of Virginia’s conference schedule is among the top two or three toughest among the leagues’ football programs. The schedule calls for us to play three teams that have been among the nation’s top ten on a consistent basis (FSU, VPI on the road, and Miami as a first time visitor to Charlottesville). The home schedule also includes traditional ACC rivals Maryland, Clemson, and North Carolina.
2. The University of Virginia played a paramount role in the expansion of the ACC. How do you think the addition of Miami and Virginia Tech benefits UVa’s athletic program? Are there any negatives?
There is benefit to the ACC as a whole and to UVa specifically. College athletics will be dominated by large conferences in terms of their leverage with the major broadcast companies that invest in televising college athletics. To continue as a major player in college athletics, it will be necessary to have a presence and command credibility on a national scale within the NCAA. The expansion has helped elevate the profile of the ACC, particularly in football where the Conference will immediately be among the top two or three conferences nationally. This helps UVa in that it keeps us from becoming complacent; we must continue to look for ways to improve in everything we do from recruiting prospects, supporting our student-athletes in their academic pursuits, building great facilities, generating resources, and producing excellent graduates of the University.
3. What would the addition of Notre Dame mean for the future of ACC athletics?
Right now, it would be inappropriate to speculate to a degree that Notre Dame was portrayed as being a candidate. Notre Dame is an excellent school with a respected athletic program. Any conference would benefit with the addition of Notre Dame and all that it stands for. Obviously Notre Dame would fit with the profile of other ACC schools. There might be other schools, too, that could similarly benefit the ACC if the decision is made by the Presidents to consider future expansion.
4. North Carolina and Duke were portrayed as the “bad guys” in the expansion discussions. Does this affect their relations with the other ACC schools or Miami and Virginia Tech?
There is no lingering impact to our relationships and ability to work together in the future. Each ACC school had its own set of issues when it came to considering the expansion topic. Historically, the ACC has always found a way to put our differences on the table and eventually make decisions that were for the good of the Conference. Every school, including Duke and North Carolina, had serious questions about whether expansion made sense. No one school objected to any particular school’s inclusion to the ACC, thus Miami and Virginia Tech have felt welcomed to the league.