Interview with John Swofford...
Q. In a more micro sense for the ACC, as 2023 comes up (when TV deals for the Big Ten, Big 12 and Pac-12 start to expire) and we have the specter of possible changes in alignment, obviously your membership has been secured well beyond that, but do you have any fears of what that might look like over the next six years as there could be some movement? Especially at a time when college conferences have gone from small groups of like-minded schools to larger marketing partnerships.
A. My guess is whatever comes at that point in time, and far be it from me to predict that, I don’t see it affecting the ACC very much. If Notre Dame wanted to take a step to come in football, I think the conference would readily have that conversation. Then you’re maybe looking at a 16th school to have balanced football divisions. Beyond that, my guess is that this league will, in 2035-36, look a lot like it does today in terms of its membership. Elsewhere? I think we’ll just have to wait and see. I never thought our league would be 15 (teams). Seriously. There was a time when I started seeing that there was benefit to that, and not only benefit but necessity. But when I took the job 20 years ago I didn’t see that. I thought maybe 12. And then things happen and things change in the landscape and the marketplace and what you need to do in order to keep the conference at the most prominent level. So those things change. If there becomes this sense of having 20-member conferences-slash-associations, and there are fewer of them, long term I guess that could come into play. In terms of our own membership, and in the period of time you asked me about, that would be my answer in terms of us.
