Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, March 31, 1990 TAG: 9003310227
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B6 EDITION: STATE
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: COLUMBIA, S.C. LENGTH: Medium
"Currently, we are looking at five future options for our athletic programs," Dixon said. "The fifth option, and the one I would be excited about, is rejoining the ACC. The ACC is good for us by natural rivalries, travel considerations and costs.
"We're already playing five ACC teams in football. North Carolina is a tremendous rivalry for South Carolina. But I don't know what the league's thoughts would be on that right now . . . But it doesn't hurt to plant the seed."
ACC Commissioner Gene Corrigan earlier this week acknowledged the league might be attractive to several schools, but he said the ACC had no plans to expand.
But The Charlotte Observer quoted a source it said was close to the ACC as saying the league probably would strongly consider a request from South Carolina to rejoin the ACC. South Carolina, which is an independent in football and a member of the Metro Conference in all its other sports, has not made a formal application for membership in the ACC, Dixon said. South Carolina was a member of the ACC from its creation in 1953 until it withdrew June 30, 1971. It was the first and only school to withdraw from the conference.
Dixon said the other options the school is studying are:
Expansion of the Metro Conference to an all-sports league that would include football;
Joining a so-called "super conference" that would feature football powers of the Eastern seaboard. Discussions about forming that league have been held in recent months among several schools, including Pittsburgh, Syracuse, West Virginia, Miami and Florida State as well as South Carolina;
Trying to join the Southeastern Conference, another league that is geographically compatible with South Carolina;
by CNB