Four things we didn’t hear at ACC Kickoff
By: rmacrae@bellsouth.net July 23, 2014

Over 450 media members, a record, attended the ACC Football Kickoff at the Grandover Resort in Greensboro over the weekend.  Thousands of questions were asked to the head coaches and student athletes representing the ACC schools.

This year’s event was different than those in year’s past.  Here are four things that were not heard this year at the ACC Kickoff, things that were heard often at previous events.

1 – What does the ACC have to do to catch the SEC?

In previous year’s there were plenty of questions about what the ACC had to do to catch the SEC.  Those questions were absent this year, which was very refreshing.  Florida State’s national championship put that talk to an end.  Dabo Swinney addressed the subject on Monday saying last year the ACC finally did what he had been saying they needed to do for years.  With Florida State’s title and Clemson’s Orange Bowl victory the ACC proved that it had two of the best teams in the nation, including the nation’s best.

2 – Can an undefeated or one loss ACC school make the four-team playoff?

Last season there was plenty of talk about whether teams from the ACC could make the college playoff.  That discussion was much different this year.  The questions for Swinney and others now centered around could two ACC teams make the playoff and could a one-loss or even a two-loss ACC team make the playoff.

3 – Will teams leave the ACC for a better opportunity in another conference?

This year there was no longer any talk of teams leaving the ACC.  The conference is as stable as it has been in years.  The ACC just won the title and is now firmly one of the Super Five conferences.  The ACC has a seat at the table and proved that there are no revenue issues preventing an ACC team from winning a championship.

4 – Who will be the next team to join the ACC?

Over the past few years at the ACC Kickoff Swofford has had to answer questions about who the next team might be to join the ACC and when they might expand again.  This year there was no talk of expansion.  The league appears to be very happy with the 15 teams they currently have in place, with the addition of Notre Dame is all sports except football.