Dan Radakovich tells ESPN its best keeping ACC together

Speaking to ESPN, Miami athletic director Dan Radakovic stated the best option is to continue trying to make the ACC as strong as they can make it and to keep the conference together. Dan Radakovich was commenting on “How the rest of the ACC is reacting to Florida State’s unhappiness.”

The comments from Dan Radakovich were in response to comments from Florida State President Richard McCullough and Athletic Director Michael Alford that the Seminoles are “not happy with both the speed and progress in addressing what is estimated to be a $30 million annual revenue gap with the SEC and Big Ten.”

McCullough stated in a virtual board of trustees meeting that in the words of Andrea Adelson and David Hale of ESPN “Florida State would “very seriously” consider leaving the ACC unless there is a radical change to the conference’s revenue distribution model, the backlash from those inside the league followed.”

Florida State is reportedly upset with an estimated $30 million annual revenue gap between the ACC and the Big 10 and SEC. Early this year the Super Seven of Clemson, Florida State, North Carolina, Miami, North Carolina State, Virginia and Virginia Tech were among seven ACC schools examining the grant of rights agreement.

"“Florida State is doing what Florida State feels like it needs to do…Each of our schools have to make their own decisions…we need to continue to try to make the ACC as strong as we can make it. We’ve got our grant of rights, we have all those other pieces that are associated with keeping ourselves together.Right now, we feel really strongly that our best course of action is to keep the ACC together and try to make it as strong as it can be.”"

Adelson and Hale quoted Dan Radakovich in their article above highlighting the responses to Alford and McCullough. They noted, “The ACC had a framework to address at least part of the gap: Success initiatives, which would reward teams that have on-field success in football and basketball with a larger portion of the revenue.”

Ross Delenger of Yahoo Sports reported on Tuesday that the “ACC SMU in addition to Cal and Stanford in expansion talk.” California, SMU and Stanford would provide the ACC with programs in the Dallas and Bay Area markets but would be difficult logistically. ACC Presidents met Tuesday to discuss expansion per Dellenger.

Dellenger reported the ACC Presidents discussed adding Cal, SMU and Stanford or solely the Golden Bears and Cardinal. The ACC distribution was $39 million last year per Dellenger. The ACC is in ongoing discussions with Cal and Stanford with several financial factors being decided regarding expansion.