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Heidrick opens the show by asking Northam about his views on the ACC now that three new teams have joined the conference. Northam, who attended the ACC football media days, admits it was odd to see SMU, Stanford and Cal at the events. “The ACC’s message, though, is that this is a good thing for the league,” Northam explains. “I think their strategy for why they decided to add these three teams despite objections… their argument is that this secures the future of the league.”
Heidrick and Northam also address the latest developments in the ongoing drama surrounding FSU and Clemson’s lawsuits against the ACC. “At ACC media day, the commissioner gives a conference update and answers questions,” Northam explains, “and he’s never been so aggressive and defiant. He gave the impression that the ACC is not going to budge or settle… they have no incentive to settle… it’s going to be delayed as long as possible.”
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Later, Heidrick and Northam discuss one of the more random changes the ACC has made – the addition of SMU. “Dallas-Fort Worth is a big market,” Heidrick explains, “but SMU joining the league is different than two teams (Stanford and Cal) that were kind of homeless without a league.”
Northam agrees. “SMU just wanted to be in the country club,” he says. “They wanted to be Power 5 — now Power 4 — and they were willing to make sacrifices. They’re not taking money from the ACC for a couple of years, they really just wanted to be in the club. There’s been a lot of reinvestment in football, the fans are excited to be in a big league. I wonder if that will spill over into women’s basketball.”
Be sure to subscribe to the Locked On Women’s Basketball podcast to stay informed about the WNBA, women’s college basketball, basketball history, and more!
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