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Raleigh News & Observer
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
The Atlantic Coast Conference's basketball coaches oppose it. Television executives are in favor of it.
ACC officials could decide this week which side gets its way on a proposal to increase the number of conference games from 16 to 18 each season beginning in 2008-09. The issue is being debated at the league's spring meetings in Amelia Island, Fla., and a vote on a scheduling change may be held Wednesday.
For the coaches, it would mean giving up two non-conference games a season. For television, it could mean two more attractive games to boost ratings and match the 18-game conference schedules in place in the Big East, Big Ten and Pac-10.
On Sunday, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski told The Charlotte Observer that going to an 18-game conference season would be a "huge mistake."
Other coaches said much the same, although Virginia Tech's Seth Greenberg told the Observer that ACC officials probably would approve the proposal.
"The league is going to do what's in the best interests of the league and also what's in the best interests of their relationship with the television partners," Greenberg said.
A proposal to go to 18 games was defeated in the conference's May meetings three years ago, before Boston College joined the league as its 12th member.
"One of the main things that made the ACC's profile so special was its ability to play in top-flight intersectional games and tournaments throughout the season," Krzyzewski said. "In turn, this allows us to negotiate the nation's best television package. We should not forget the reason the league enjoys the notoriety of being the best basketball conference in the country."
Ken Haines, president and CEO of Raycom Sports, the league's TV package syndicator, said that he favors an 18-game schedule.
"Common sense indicates that the more you have them playing each other, the more attractive the schedule is, as long as it's not at the expense of marquee matchups with non-conference opponents," he said.
Haines said the TV contracts, which end after the 2010-2011 season, probably would not be renegotiated before then.
It also would present some interesting choices for the coaches: keeping a big non-conference game for TV exposure and recruiting benefits, or scheduling a lesser team that might guarantee a win and possibly help with reaching the NCAA Tournament.
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)
