bobby dodds ghost
Damn Good Rat
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- Jun 5, 2002
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'Canes' interest in ACC goes back to 50 years ago
By Alan Schmadtke
Sentinel Staff Writer
May 21, 2003
Fifty years ago this month, seven schools agreed to break away from the Southern Conference to form the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Like Virginia Tech today, there were schools on the outside looking in, clamoring for inclusion. Two notable outsiders from 1953 are ones involved in the ACC's most recent expansion efforts -- Florida State and Miami.
At a 50th-anniversary celebration of the league's formation earlier this month in Greensboro, N.C., retired sports writer Irwin Smallwood shared with modern ACC leaders how their conference came to be. One story like this:
Word of the impending formation of the ACC was confirmed by reporters early -- about 1:30 a.m. -- one spring day. That day's newspapers already had been printed. Reporters waited until the following morning, a cycle of more than 18 hours, to break the news about the splitting of the 17-team Southern Conference.
In the meantime, officials from FSU and Miami were calling founding ACC members and requesting consideration for admission. Their interest was unrequited.
"I just found it interesting that Miami coming into the ACC is not a new notion," said Smallwood, 77.
By Alan Schmadtke
Sentinel Staff Writer
May 21, 2003
Fifty years ago this month, seven schools agreed to break away from the Southern Conference to form the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Like Virginia Tech today, there were schools on the outside looking in, clamoring for inclusion. Two notable outsiders from 1953 are ones involved in the ACC's most recent expansion efforts -- Florida State and Miami.
At a 50th-anniversary celebration of the league's formation earlier this month in Greensboro, N.C., retired sports writer Irwin Smallwood shared with modern ACC leaders how their conference came to be. One story like this:
Word of the impending formation of the ACC was confirmed by reporters early -- about 1:30 a.m. -- one spring day. That day's newspapers already had been printed. Reporters waited until the following morning, a cycle of more than 18 hours, to break the news about the splitting of the 17-team Southern Conference.
In the meantime, officials from FSU and Miami were calling founding ACC members and requesting consideration for admission. Their interest was unrequited.
"I just found it interesting that Miami coming into the ACC is not a new notion," said Smallwood, 77.