I am positive that FSU and the football schools of the ACC voiced concerns and opinions.
With Swofford's agenda of making the conference palatable to everyone so as to make his mission to procure a GOR succesful, I am also positive that he sold the football school's point of view to the President's.
“I said if you want to back up your words with action, this is how you do it,” Swofford said. “With the grant of rights.”
At some schools, such as Duke, support was immediate and came without question.
Others, like Florida State trustees who had become wary of the ACC, were skeptical. And some, like North Carolina athletic director Bubba Cunningham, wanted to ensure league schools gained something out of the grant of rights, aside from increased stability.
Swofford mostly communicated with schools by phone. Often, he was on the line with an athletic director, or with a university president. Sometimes he preferred face-to-face communication.
That was the case with leaders from Florida State. For years, speculation about Florida State’s future had become nearly as much a part of the culture as the Seminoles’ home football game tradition of planting a flaming spear at midfield.
Some FSU supporters, tired of the ACC’s mediocre reputation in football, encouraged the university to explore leaving.
Convincing Florida State to agree to the grant of rights was critical to Swofford, who acknowledged that he made, “oh, just a couple” of trips to Tallahassee to speak with university leaders.
Soooo,,,Yes, I think that FSU's desire to strengthen the football side of the conference probably played in...and FSU was comfortable with Louisville. They had played all non football sports together in the Metro Conference while FSU was a football independent.