Discord, NIL among league takeaways
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The end of ACC media days means actual football is on the way. Most college football teams throughout the country will report to their respective facilities next week to start training camp for the 2023 season.
Before they strap on pads for the first time this summer, let’s take one final look at the notable storylines that developed over the past week in Charlotte. Here are four takeaways from the ACC Kickoff:
ACC commissioner Jim Phillips didn’t hide the fact that this summer included some difficult headlines for him and his staff. Following the ACC spring meetings, reports surfaced claiming seven of the league’s 14 full-time member schools met with lawyers with hopes to find a potential way out of the conference.
Though the threats of the teams now known as the “Magnificent Seven” didn’t go far, many eyes were on Phillips to see how he and the league could resolve the estimated $30 million gap in media revenue that will soon exist between the ACC and schools from both the Big Ten and SEC. While efforts to reach a resolution are still in their early stages, Phillips confidently said Tuesday that each of the 14 schools are once again working together.
“I’m proud that our presidents and chancellors and our athletic directors continue to have healthy, honest and direct conversations about working together as we collectively navigate the future,” Phillips said. “I’m well aware of the narrative and stories surrounding the ACC and our members, as well as the frustrations of some of our schools on our financials, but these are not new.”
Phillips also mentioned that he and the league have “never felt better” about their relationship with ESPN.
“That was one of the big things I wanted to go to when I chose my new school. When I was there, I was like, I don’t want to leave this place. And it was close to home for my family to come see my games, so that was definitely big for me.”
Virginia Tech gets a rematch with Old Dominion on Sept. 2, and this time Jennings will be donning maroon and orange.
He has great relationships with his ex-ODU teammates, and though Jennings tried not to think too much about the game now, he knows his excitement will grow as it gets closer.
“It’s still all love for those guys,” Jennings said. “It was all love when I had to leave the team, everyone understood. But it’s still hard to make those kinds of decisions, especially when you build a home with guys for a few years like that. I can’t wait, it’s gonna be a fun game.”
This won’t be the first time Jennings has played at the Power Five level, since he started his college career with two years at West Virginia. After playing in Conference USA and the Sun Belt with ODU, he feels like there will be a smooth transition into ACC competition.
After missing the last three weeks of last season with an injury, Jennings has worked hard to get back to full strength, saying Thursday he’s as strong and as fast as he’s ever been.
“He’s a worker and he’s earned the respect of everybody on the team and his staff,” Virginia Tech coach Brent Pry said. “He was not entirely healthy in the spring. I gave him credit because he just kept battling. He needed to get the reps, he needed to get the work (and) shake off a little rust. He wasn’t 100% until the summer. So I’m excited to see him working with a full tank.”
Jennings said he’s already fitting into offensive coordinator Tyler Bowen’s new system.
There are some similarities between Virginia Tech’s system and what is being run at ODU, Jennings said, since Bowen coached with Monarchs head coach Ricky Rahne at Penn State. Jennings has also been reunited with wide receivers coach Fontel Mines, who coached the ODU tight ends in 2021.
“I like everything that Coach Bowen is about,” Jennings said. “He is aggressive. He is very smart. … It’s going to be exciting to be in it, and hopefully, we make it exciting for everyone to watch because we have a lot of good players, returning players and new guys. The receiver room is insane. This is the deepest receiver room I’ve ever been in. It’s going to be fun, and it’s going to be — I feel like it’s going to be pretty hard to stop us.”