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ACC agrees to TV Grant of Rights deal

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Update, 2:44 pm: The ACC has officially announced that each of its 15 member institutions has agreed to a TV Grant of Rights Deal.

According to David Glenn, this will extend the ESPN TV deal through the 2026-27 season.

“This announcement further highlights the continued solidarity and commitment by our member institutions,” said ACC Commissioner John Swofford in a press release. “The Council of Presidents has shown tremendous leadership in insuring the ACC is extremely well positioned with unlimited potential.”

Read the full story on what this deal means for the future of the ACC

Agreeing to this is a huge step for any conference’s stability. The Business of College Sports has a comprehensive breakdown of what these deals mean, but here’s the skinny.

Previously, to prevent schools from leaving the conference, a conference would raise its exit fee. The ACC did just this, raising its exit fee to $52 million. But as we saw with the ensuing departure of Maryland to the Big Ten, such large exit fees are only debatably enforceable. As The Chronicle reported in November, the ACC sued Maryland over paying the exit fee, a complaint that has yet to be resolved.

So if large exit fees can’t effectively compel member organizations to stay in a league, what is the best way to keep schools around? TV Grant of Rights Deals, in which the member institutions hand over their TV rights to the league for an extended period of time. Essentially, it prevents a team from leaving because even if it does leave, the conference still holds its TV rights and therefore all the money.

Here are quotes from Duke’s brass on the deal:

Per the Business of College Sports, the Big Ten, Pac-12 and Big 12 have execute these types of deals already.

“This is an important moment in the history of the ACC, which has been Duke’s home for nearly 60 years. It signals our united commitment to ensuring the future stability of the conference and will enable us to focus on the development of our student-athletes and the spirited competition for which the ACC has always been known.” — Duke President Richard Brodhead

“To be sure, today’s Grant of Rights announcement by the Atlantic Coast Conference is monumental as it clearly shows the unwavering long-term solidarity of the ACC member institutions. Since its inception, the ACC has provided the perfect home for Duke Athletics. Sixty years later, that remains the same. The net result of these negotiations, spearheaded by the determined leadership of Commissioner Swofford, is that the ACC is now in a prime media rights position among its peers and partnered with the preeminent sports broadcasting entity on the planet, ESPN. Historically speaking, this is nothing short of a lasting ‘game changer’ for the ACC’s colleges and universities!” – Duke Vice President and Director of Athletics Kevin White

“First off, the efforts of Commissioner Swofford and the ACC staff are to be commended. This is an exciting time to be a part of our outstanding conference, and we’re proud to call the ACC our home. The ACC has established itself as the premier conference in the country, and today’s news further exemplifies the solidarity of its member institutions. Obviously, from a media rights perspective, ESPN is the pinnacle of the broadcast industry and we’re thrilled to continue this terrific partnership with them in the future.” – Duke football head coach David Cutcliffe

“I am thrilled with today’s announcement by the Atlantic Coast Conference. It is one of the great days in the history of our conference as it shows the highest level of commitment – not by words, but by actions. With all the uncertainty regarding conference affiliations the past several years in college athletics, this announcement, coupled with our media rights deal with the world’s best sports broadcasting network, secures the ACC’s future, and thus Duke’s, for years to come. As a long-time coach in this league, I understand how terrific the ACC has been. With continued commitment by current members and the addition of several outstanding institutions, the ACC should be in position to reestablish itself as the nation’s top conference in the years to come.” – Duke basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski

“In light of all of the conference transitions and alignments, this news is simply extraordinary. To solidify the ACC now and in the future with such fantastic media opportunities reflects the unprecedented leadership in the conference. The existing partnership between the ACC and ESPN showcases the tremendous traditions of both institutions and provides a maximum opportunity to broadcast the outstanding talents of the conference. From a women’s basketball perspective, this illustrates the incredible dominance of the ACC relative to the commitment to our sport.” – Duke women’s basketball head coach Joanne P. McCallie

The deal was first reported by David Glenn

Here are Glenn’s tweets:

AskChron: Breaking down the ACC

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ACC Standings (as of 12/19/2012):

No. 1 Duke 9-0: After a November gauntlet with wins over three then top-five squads, the Blue Devils have experienced a very light schedule as of late. As good as Duke has been so far, its ceiling may be even higher. A healthy Marshall Plumlee should provide immense help on the glass, which does not bode well for the rest of the league.

Maryland 9-1: Since falling to then-No. 3 Kentucky in the opening game of the season, the Terrapins have been rolling, granted they have not faced a ranked foe since the Wildcats. Averaging 13.9 points and 8.8 rebounds, 7-foor-1 center Alex Len is one of the premier players in the conference and is projected to be a top-five NBA draft pick this summer.

Miami 7-1: Outside of a puzzling loss to Florida Gulf Coast, the ‘Canes have performed as expected. Its best win to date is over then-No. 13 Michigan State. Big man Reggie Johnson eats up space and the stat sheet, averaging a double double.

North Carolina 8-2: The young Tar Heels are stilling trying to establish their identity as head coach Roy Williams has been experimenting with a wide array of lineups so far this year. Defensive lapses have been an issue lately—giving up 87 and 84 points to ECU and UAB, respectively. If the Tar Heels are going to compete for the ACC crown, they desperately need sophomore forward James Michael McAdoo—who did not start in the team’s last game—to elevate his game.

No. 25 North Carolina State 8-2: The verdict is still out on the Wolfpack—are they a disciplined enough to make a late run in March? Or will they be susceptible to a first-weekend tournament upset? It appears N.C. State is starting to gel. Senior big men Richard Howell and C.J. Leslie are a load down low. The duo averages 27.6 points and 17.3 rebounds per game. Given the lack of inside depth, Keeping those two out of foul trouble will be paramount against top-flight competition. Versatile freshman forward TJ Warren—who averages 13.6 points per contest—continues to improve and looks to be the biggest challenger to Duke’s Rasheed Sulaimon for ACC ROY.

Virginia 8-2: After dropping two of its first three games to mid majors, Tony Bennett’s team has responded well by winning seven in a row, which includes an impressive road win over Wisconsin in the ACC-Big 10 Challenge. If the Cavs hope to make some noise in ACC play, they will need to find increase their scoring output of just 63.2 points per game, which is the worst scoring average in the conference.

Virginia Tech 8-2: One of the surprise teams in the ACC, the Hokies have an impressive win over No. 15 Oklahoma State on their resume. Scoring the basketball has been the team’s strong suit—Va. Tech tallies 81.3 points per game, which is good for 15th best in the nation. One of the best pure scorers in the country, Senior guard Erick Green leads the charge offensively at 24.8 points per outing, the second highest average in all of college basketball next to Lehigh’s C.J. McCollum.

Georgia Tech 7-2: A 7-2 start is promising for a team that finished 11-20 last year. Perhaps even better, Georgia Tech will add Kentucky transfer Stacey Poole Jr.—a 6-foot-4 guard. He’ll provide some scoring prowess and athleticism as the squad’s schedule picks up considerably once ACC play commences.

Clemson 6-3: Despite coming up short in both contests, the Tigers were no pushovers in losses to top-20 teams Gonzaga and Arizona. Senior big men Milton Jennings and Devin Booker are forces on the block. And sophomore forward K.J. McDaniels has proven to be one of the league’s breakout players. After averaging 3.9 points last season, the 6-foot-6 forward leads the team in scoring at 11.9 points per game.

Florida State 6-4: The Seminoles are one of the biggest disappointments in the ACC so far this year with losses to the likes of South Alabama, Mercer and Maine. Florida State will need to knock off several of the top teams in the ACC if it hopes to return to the NCAA tournament this season. One of the few bright spots for the squad has been preseason All-ACC selection Michael Snaer. The senior guard averages 14.2 points and 5.6 rebounds per game.

Boston College 5-5: Though improved from last season, a roster with sparse talent has limited the Eagles this season. Boston College is the second worst rebounding team in the ACC at 34.3 boards per contest. Shooting from long-range has been equally problematic for the Eagles too; they average just 30.3 percent from downtown, which is the lowest percentage in the conference.

Wake Forest 5-5: It’s been a tough go for Demon Deacon head coach Jeff Bzedelik, who might be on the hot seat after this season. Wake Forest has struggled mightily against pedestrian competition, losing to Radford, Mercer, Nebraska, High Point and Seton Hall so far. Much of the struggles can be attributed to the team’s rebounding woes at a meager 31.3 boards per game, which ranks 310th overall in college basketball and the worst in the ACC.

#AskChron questions:

@yaboytfitz asked, “Who will be Duke’s toughest remaining test? The talented NC State team or Maryland with a tough matchup in Alex Len? #AskChron“

The Chronicle: Both will be very formidable matchups and likely the toughest tests Duke faces in the ACC, but I personally believe that N.C. State will be a slightly tougher contest, especially on the road. I think the overall size of the Wolfpack’s starting five—Lorenzo Brown (6-foot-5), Rodney Purvis (6-foot-4), Scott Wood (6-foot-7), C.J. Leslie (6-foot-9) and Richard Howell (6-foot-9)—is something that could really bother Duke, a team that on average gets out-rebounded by one each game so far this year.

@jfausold asked, “@dukebasketball Was NC State overrated at the start of the year? #AskChron”

TC: Most will admit that the preseason expectations for the Wolfpack—a team that was wildly inconsistent until late in the year last season—were a bit too lofty coming into the year.

That being said, there is no denying that this N.C. State team has the talent to not only win the ACC, but also make a deep run in March. The ‘Pack had an admirable showing on the road in a hard-fought loss to No. 2 Michigan last month. Recently, the N.C. State has played well in quality wins over Connecticut and Stanford, and it appears to be jiving more as a unit.

A showdown with top-ranked Duke on Jan. 12 at home will be a telling tilt for the ‘Pack.

@Dirtybit__ asked, “Which team matches up best with Duke? #AskChron”

TC: As touched on in the first question, N.C. State has the size at all positions to match up very well with Duke defensively. Maryland, however, also provides challenging one-on-one match ups with 7-footer Alex Len—a potential NBA lottery pick next summer—and athletic wings Dez Wells and Nick Faust, who are NBA-caliber athletes. Len, a polished low-block scorer with terrific length and size, will likely be Duke big man Mason Plumlee’s toughest one-on-one assignment of the year.

Video and Notre Dame to the ACC links

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Yesterday, the ACC announced the acquisition of Notre Dame as the league’s newest addition, following Pittsburgh and Syracuse, which joined last year.

Although Notre Dame will not be a full member of the conference in terms of football, the Fighting Irish will play five football games per year against ACC foes. In all other sports, including basketball, Notre Dame will be a full member, pushing the league’s number of schools to 15.

Read: ACC commissioner John Swofford, conference presidents and Notre Dame brass announce the move

For Duke fans, that means marquee football matchups that will be televised every few years, in addition to another boost to arguably the best college basketball conference in the country. And, former Duke basketball assistant coach, Mike Brey, will make his return to the league. Brey, who coached at Duke from 1987-1995 under Duke basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski, first was a head coach at Delaware and now guides the Fighting Irish.

Read: Brey spoke to the media yesterday at the Notre Dame press conference, and he’s amped about coming back to the ACC

The Chronicle’s weekly football video segment made in conjunction with Duke Student Broadcasting, Four Downs, sat down for a special edition of the program to talk about the addition of Notre Dame to the ACC. Check it out:

Pittsburgh to join Syracuse, depart Big East a year early

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Earlier this week, the Big East Conference announced that Syracuse reached a buyout to depart for the ACC a year early. It seemed it was only a matter of time before Pittsburgh, who was set to depart the Big East with Syracuse, followed suit. Officials from the University of Pittsburgh announced that they have reached the same agreement in a press release with the Big East Wednesday evening.

The Panthers will play their final season in the Big East this season before terminating its membership effective July 1, 2013. Syracuse and Pittsburgh were originally meant to wait 27 months after announcing their intentions to switch conferences last September. They were originally expected to exit the Big East in the summer of 2014, but a $7.5 million buyout agreement changed the original plan.

Pittsburgh will begin ACC competition in the fall of 2013.

“We have appreciated and enjoyed our membership in the Big East and wish them much success in the future,” Steve Pederson, Athletic Director for the University of Pittsburgh said. “We are anxious to compete in our final season in the Big East and look forward to an exciting future in the Atlantic Coast Conference.”

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Syracuse agrees to early buyout from Big East

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The Big East Conference revealed today in a press release that Syracuse will move to the ACC a year earlier than expected.

After announcing a move to the ACC last September, it was expected that both Syracuse and the University of Pittsburgh would be required to wait 27 months before exiting the conference. This original course of action would have allowed both schools to join the ACC for the 2014-2015 academic year.

News of the move strained the relationships between officials from both schools and the Big East, which resulted in an agreement for early termination of Syracuse’s membership. The Orange will now leave the Big East effective July 1, 2013, just under 22 months after the move was announced. In exchange for its early termination, Syracuse has agreed to pay the Big East a $7.5 million settlement.

“We look forward to the new academic and athletic partnerships and the extraordinary competitive opportunities that membership in the ACC offers,” Dr. Daryl Gross, Director of Athletics for Syracuse University, said in the press release. “We are excited about both our final season in the Big East and our long-term future with the ACC.”

Syracuse is now slated to join the ACC in the fall of 2013 and will participate in its final Big East season this year. There has been no announcement from the University of Pittsburgh regarding a similar buyout agreement.

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Duke ranks last in ACC football attendance

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Apparently men’s basketball isn’t the only Duke sport suffering from poor attendance.

The  number of fans at Wallace Wade Stadium this fall during football games reached a three-year low in 2011, with an average of just 24,393 tickets—or 71.87 percent of the stadium’s full capacity—sold per game, according to an NCAA report. A total of 170,748 fans came through the turnstiles this season, ranking 79th nationally and last in the ACC.

In 2010, attendance spiked behind a visit from top-ranked Alabama, reaching 28,750 per game, slightly more than 2,000 above the 2009 average.

The SEC and Big 10 combined for 12 of the nation’s top 14 in total attendance, topped by Michigan’s 112,179 fans per game. Clemson led the ACC for the second straight year with 78,234 fans per game, which ranked 15th in the country.