Four schools stood opposed [to Stanford and Cal] when the issue was discussed Wednesday night, sources say: Florida State, Clemson, North Carolina and North Carolina State. Lacking the requisite numbers, sources say it is unlikely that the potential expansion of the league will be put to a formal vote.
Sources described ACC members Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Georgia Tech and Louisville as among the most vocal in advocating for the Cardinal and Golden Bears...
In explaining his advocacy for Cal and Stanford this week, Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick told ESPN, “The notion that two of the very best academic institutions in the world who also play [Division I] sports could be abandoned in this latest chapter of realignment is an indictment of college athletics.”
The current ACC is schizoid, there are the slave states who want to teach basket weaving and iron smithing to keep whore dollars flowing in in greater numbers and there are the Academic Ivies. I can't hide my disgust and won't try. But the bottom line for me in this mini replay of the Civil War has been that I don't see how ACC membership benefits the kids at Cal and Stanford, who would fit in with ND, Pitt, Boston College, Georgia Tech--Louisville is a surprise advocate—but would have to fly cross country to do it.
With the additions of Cal and Stanford the ACC would be the premier education-cum-sports grouping in the country with bi-coastal reach. Of course the slave state schools don't care about that, although I am surprised that UNC is one of the intransigent Nos.
This is about the cultural bipolarity in the Conference and of course the slave states are for maintenance of the slave culture of sub-par education. If it's possible, and I don't think it is, for the conference to cut HALF Ass U, It's Probation time Y'all, the Apple Chills and American Conference quality NC State, I would gladly let them go and add Stanford, Cal, Smoo, Tulane and Rice as replacements. That would result in cultural and academic realignment. But my main concern is with the student-athletes and I can't see unless there is radical emigration and immigration along the lines just mentioned, how Cal and Stanford would not do violence to their young charges with membership. Although it really irritates me I don't want the Left Coast and Eastern academic stars to impose on their student-athletes either the onerous travel restrictions involved. I'm opposed to this debased expansion discussion, I don't see how it would work for the kids, and so I oppose it but not on the money-chasing grounds of the Slave State Four but for the student-athletes.
