UC tried to enlist Ohio State University football coach Urban Meyer, whose sister works at UC. Urban used to coach at Notre Dame, which has joined the ACC for sports other than football.
But Meyer eventually backed away from that request.
The campaign included Ono’s phone calls and letters to every ACC president, arguing that UC fits into the ACC in academics, research funding and financial backing.
UC’s faculty athletics representative, Fritz Russ, reached out to counterparts at ACC schools.
Ono sent every ACC president a brochure touting the “upward trajectory of the University of Cincinnati’s athletic and academic programs” and listing how UC would rank in the ACC in enrollment, endowments, research funding and other measures. The listing underscored how UC would be a good fit in the conference.
Ono’s office tried to arrange visits for ACC presidents, and consulted with a Washington, D.C., lobbying firm on how to approach those leaders. But the visits did not happen.