State of the ACC: Swofford talks TV network, baseball tourney in SC

ACC commissioner John Swofford held his annual state of the league address Monday during ACC Kickoff, and talked about a number of important issues, including cost of attendance, a 24/7 network and what the removal of the Confederate Flag from the South Carolina Statehouse means for future ACC championships in the Palmetto State.

Here are some highlights from Swofford’s meeting with the media:

▪  Swofford said all barriers for S.C. hosting ACC events at neutral sites “have been removed” with the Confederate Flag coming down.

“Now anybody in South Carolina can bid on those championships just like anybody else would be bidding on,” Swofford said. “I was really glad to see that.”

In 2009, Myrtle Beach was awarded the ACC baseball tourney for 2011-13, but a month after the announcement the league pulled out of the deal.

The ACC recently signed a four-year deal with the Durham Bulls Athletic Park, but once that agreement is up, “it'll be back on the table what we do beyond that.”

▪  Don’t look for an ACC 24/7 television network launching any time soon. Swofford gave not timetable or any specifics on the process. He said he likes where discussions are, and the current deal with ESPN ends 2027.

“At some point, we will look to make a joint decision about what the best route for the long-term future,” Swofford said. “It is a very important decision going forward, and the good thing is that I don’t think there’s a wrong decision.”

The ACC continues to fall behind in revenue produced by individual networks used by the SEC, Big Ten and Pac-12.

Swofford stressed that it’s about having the right format.

“I know you’re tired of hearing me talk and not having much to say on that subject,” Swofford said.

▪  Swofford is very much in favor of the cost of attendance that begins this fall, although he understands the issues in discrepancy. He said in a perfect world, it would be the same cost for every school, but that’s not going to be the case.

▪  Swofford announced that the ACC will be “medical observers” in the booth this season at all football games – one for each team. These people will know the medical history of players and be able to monitor injuries and determine a player’s status. The observers won’t be able to stop the games, but they'll work with medical teams on the sidelines to help protect players. Swofford said this is a similar system to what the Pac-12 uses.

▪  Swofford said the College Football Playoff was one of the most successful first-year events he’s ever seen in college athletics. He supports the four-team system until the current contract runs out in 2026, but he thinks an 8-team field would be better in a perfect world.