Commissioner notes Pitt’s win vs. Clemson

attention has understandably, I think, been focused on the preparations of the linear network. … There’s a lot of activity currently underway, and that activity is on our 15 campuses. It’s at our offices in Greensboro. It’s at ESPN campuses in Bristol, as well as here in Charlotte, as we prepare for the launch in just 24 months.”

Given another eye-opening round of layoffs at ESPN in the spring, as well as the ongoing trend of cord-cutting and other changes in the cable industry, it’s fair to wonder if the ACC’s new frontier will end up being as profitable as rival networks from the Big Ten and SEC. Swofford acknowledged that storyline but offered up no specifics.

“There have been several things written and speculated about the network in recent weeks,” he said. “I’m sure some of you may have questions related to the network, but I trust you will understand that we’re at a stage in our timetable and process with ESPN where it’s simply not going to be prudent for us to discuss, until we reach the launch, the specific business aspects that are a work in progress.”

• On if there has been any consideration of division realignment, given that perennial powers Clemson and Florida State both reside in the Atlantic, or adopting a nine-game conference schedule: “We haven’t really talked about divisions in several years now. … I think right now where we are, things have settled both in terms of how we schedule and in terms of the divisions,” Swofford said. “And you know, divisions can change. We all know that. Right now, if you look at it — surprisingly, to some — if you look at it over the years, the head-to-head competition with the Atlantic and Coastal, it’s very close to 500. It’s not imbalanced.

“We’ll keep looking at it, but I wouldn’t anticipate any change in the near future.”

• On the likelihood of Notre Dame joining the ACC as a full member for football, a rumor that always seems to make the rounds and did so again as recently as May: “There wasn’t an expectation that at some point in time, Notre Dame would ask for full membership in football. That is not a point of discussion at this given point in time,” Swofford said. “Obviously, if Notre Dame reached the point where they wanted to have that discussion, we would readily sit down and speak with them about that.”

Thursday was the day for player and coach interviews from teams in the Atlantic Division. Narduzzi, Pitt and the rest of the Coastal are scheduled for Friday.