Tom Suiter: ACC Expansion - Good For Football

Last December, I watched, somewhat amused, as Wake Forest beat Georgia Tech before more empty seats than people in the ACC’s much-ballyhooed championship football game. Nobody who envisioned a powerful, expanded ACC foresaw little Wake Forest being the league’s Daddy. Although the ACC would never admit it, Wake Forest in the Orange Bowl was not what the league wanted and certainly not what television wanted. It was not what expansion was supposed to bring.

Now with that out of the way, I have to say I have liked what expansion has done for football. I think it has made for more interesting games and has a brought a buzz to ACC football that wasn’t there before. Yes, I miss the fact that Duke and N.C. State haven’t played since 2003 and yes, I miss everybody playing everybody else each season. But that aside, it’s fun to wake up on a college football Saturday knowing there are more — and on a whole better — ACC games with more at stake.

There’s no question, however, that going into this season, expansion has not made the ACC a super conference. Better than it was, but not the best or close to it.

Now, when we first reported back in 2003 that the ACC was thinking of expanding, my initial thoughts were that the basketball people were going to view this like a trip to the dentist. It may be necessary, but not enjoyable. And while the basketball part of the conference gritted their teeth in anguish, they had no say. Money does talk.

As Gordon Gekko said in one of my favorite movies, “Wall Street,” “Greed is good,” and the ACC bowed down to that mantra. The conference was falling behind other leagues, and the nine-team league just wasn’t making must-see television. The power brokers will tell you academics come first, but they know in reality that does not come before money. And they realized the league had to get bigger to keep up with the others. Bigger meant richer, and the ACC’s new television football deal has indeed fattened the league coffers. A lot.

Way back, when the ACC wanted to bring in Miami, Syracuse and Boston College, I was adamantly opposed. I thought Miami would be a good fit, but didn't like the idea of Boston College and Syracuse. I was glad when those two didn’t make the initial cut. I felt that those schools were stuck way up there in the Northeast and just weren't the right pieces for the ACC puzzle. They had little in common with the rest of the conference.

I was very pleased when Virginia Tech managed to fight its way into the league. To me, the Hokies are perfect. Good football and passionate fans. They have brought enthusiasm and instant rivalries, and their success is making others better.

Miami was supposed to be the linchpin. The ACC badly wanted the Hurricanes and their powerful football program. While I do like Miami in the league, so far the football powerhouse part has been absent. I remember the aerial shots of the Orange Bowl from last year’s Carolina-Miami football game and thought, "This is big time football? Where are the people?" Only 29,000 were there. I do think the Hurricanes can get the magic back. They sure have the talent pool, but so far Miami has been a football disappointment.

When Virginia Tech and Miami made it 11 schools, it didn’t take a genius to figure that a 12th was coming. You can’t have a lucrative championship game without 12, and come heck or high water that 12th was going to be Boston College.

Now, Boston College is like some of the girls I used to go out with way back when. They were nice, but that little something called chemistry was missing. I get so sick of hearing how the ACC is expanding its footprint into the Boston television market. Does anybody up there really care about BC and the ACC? I know, I know — some do, but I don’t think many do. To me, Boston College has nothing in common with the rest of the league. No natural rivalry with anyone. You know they’re in the league, but they might just as well be located in Alaska.

One of my first thoughts when I heard about expansion was, Gee, it would be great to get South Carolina back. The Gamecocks stirred fierce emotions when Frank McGuire and his bullies tried to rule the basketball roost in the late '60s and early '70s. Paul Dietzel did the same in football. Unfortunately, that wasn’t going to happen.

I would have liked to have seen West Virginia invited instead of Boston College. Those people are fanatical about their school. WVU would have had instant rivalries with Virginia Tech, Virginia and Maryland. The Mountaineers would have made a lot of enemies, and right there you’ve got excitement and passion, and that’s what makes Saturdays so great.

But the ACC was big on that footprint thing, and Boston College it was going to be. I know it’s a good school and their football and basketball teams have been good. I also admire the way they graduate football players. But still, I can’t say that I’ve cared about them one way or another. Thank goodness Virginia Tech was able to outmuscle Syracuse.

It’s not perfect. Nothing ever is. But I have to say expansion has made ACC football edgier. The greatness will have to come later but potential is there.