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Message: [QUOTE="ScottVib, post: 5306445, member: 694"] I simply provided the relevant quote to helped formulate my opinion and provide the full link for folks to read the full context to form their own opinions. For the record here's the actual article from the Globe (it's paywalled now): [URL='https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2011/10/09/power-move-acc/eoEsrFHtvEBZD6Y59nFxGM/story.html']Link[/URL] Here is the pertinent section As DeFillippo said and as you quoted: "[I]We always keep our television partners close to us,’’ he said. "You don’t get extra money for basketball. It’s 85 percent football money. TV - [B]ESPN - is the one who told us what to do."[/B][/I] However, the football spin didn't come until later, after Pitt was swapped in, here was Swofford's statement on the move: If you accept the premise (as you seem to) that ESPN provided the direction, then it follows their first direction was for Syracuse and UConn to be the teams. Similarly, you can see from Swofford that the goals included bolstering basketball and the Northeastern presence (both areas where UConn exceeded Pitt). When the ACC balked ESPN ran the numbers and told them they could do the same thing with Pitt. The football spin came later and DeFillippo was forced to apologize for "speaking inappropriately and erroneously." ([URL='https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2011/10/12/defilippo-issues-apology/IWcNUNm64gNwSPtLU4Bf4K/story.html']source[/URL]). He also had to acknowledge his personal feelings: For ESPN's part here was their statement on the matter ([URL='https://www.courant.com/2011/10/10/boston-college-ad-no-uconn-in-acc-its-a-matter-of-turf/']Source[/URL]) It's my opinion that UConn has, and has had an ACC problem, not an ESPN problem. ESPN will do whatever is in its financial best interest to do, but the ultimate decision makers on conference membership are the conferences themselves. Until UConn can overcome the hesitancy from the current members of the ACC, Big XII or any other conference, they'll remain on the outside. [/QUOTE]

Verification: First name of men's bb coach