ROANOKE TIMES

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, June 22, 1990                   TAG: 9006220132
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: CHAPEL HILL, N.C.                                LENGTH: Medium


ACC MAY EXPAND JUST TO KEEP UP

The first steps toward Atlantic Coast Conference expansion could be taken as early as late summer, depending on precedents set by other leagues, an ACC athletic director says.

"I think it's important that we not feel five years from now that we did not have enough vision or courage to make some changes . . . if we decide that's the best thing to do," said John Swofford, athletic director at North Carolina. ". . . I think it's very important to the league, to the future of the league that we take a serious look at it [expansion] and see what opportunities are there. . . ."

ACC members decided at the recent league meeting at Myrtle Beach, S.C., that the eight-team conference should not expand, but the league may be squirming now because of movements by other conferences and independent powers in the direction of expansion or the creation of super leagues.

"We came to the conclusion that we were comfortable with our eight schools," Swofford told The News and Observer of Raleigh. "Now some things have happened since that meeting. A lot of momentum was gained in Dallas at the College Football Association meetings."

Swofford added, "As a conference we have not formally reconsidered the decision we came to at Myrtle Beach. As you would expect, at the athletic directors' level, we have had some informal conversation among ourselves about what's happening around us."

North Carolina basketball coach Dean Smith would not venture a guess as to ACC makeup within five years, but as a basketball conference, he said, the ACC could stand tall as it is.

"From a basketball standpoint," Smith said in an interview, "it might be nice to stay where we are."

Swofford said the league must consider the possibilities of expansion primarily because of football, which does not have nearly the stature of basketball in the ACC.

"I agree with what Dean says about basketball," Swofford said. "We don't have any need to expand from a basketball standpoint. [But] there may be some things we can do to enhance the ACC from football standpoint and beyond through expansion."

Television, like it or not, Swofford said, will be a significant factor in expansion and realignment.

"As you posture for the future," Swofford said, "television, particularly football television, is driving what is happening right now in terms of possible expansion ideas in other conferences.

"It bothers me that that's the primary focus of conference affiliations because there should be more involved than that - such as institutional compatibility and geographical compatibility."



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