Tag: Atlantic Coast Conference

ESPN gives ACC power rankings, conference title game prediction and more

ESPN this week released its ACC college football preview, giving power rankings, must-see games, its preseason All-ACC team, championship game prediction and more. Clemson is No. 1 in ESPN’s ACC power rankings, followed in order by NC State, Pitt, …

ESPN this week released its ACC college football preview, giving power rankings, must-see games, its preseason All-ACC team, championship game prediction and more.

Clemson is No. 1 in ESPN’s ACC power rankings, followed in order by NC State, Pitt, Miami, Louisville, North Carolina, Wake Forest, Florida State, Virginia, Syracuse, Boston College, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech and Duke.

Seven Tigers made ESPN’s preseason All-ACC team in running back Will Shipley, offensive lineman Jordan McFadden, defensive linemen Bryan Bresee and Myles Murphy, linebacker Trenton Simpson, safety Andrew Mukuba and kicker B.T. Potter.

Clemson’s clash vs. NC State at Death Valley on Oct. 1 and the Tigers’ road tilt at Notre Dame on Nov. 5 are tabbed among ESPN’s five must-see games in the ACC this season, with the others being West Virginia at Pitt on Sept. 1, Florida State vs. LSU on Sept. 4 and Miami at Texas A&M on Sept. 17.

Lastly, ESPN gave its prediction for the ACC Championship Game, picking Clemson to reclaim the conference crown in 2022 with a victory over Miami.

Over/under 5 ACC teams in the final top 25? ESPN analysts weigh in

The preseason USA TODAY Sports AFCA coaches poll, which was released on Monday, features a group of five ACC teams ranked among the top 25. Clemson leads the pack from the conference at No. 4, followed by No. 13 NC State, No. 16 Pitt, No. 17 Miami …

The preseason USA TODAY Sports AFCA coaches poll, which was released on Monday, features a group of five ACC teams ranked among the top 25.

Clemson leads the pack from the conference at No. 4, followed by No. 13 NC State, No. 16 Pitt, No. 17 Miami and No. 19 Wake Forest.

The ACC’s five ranked teams are second-most among all conferences, behind only the SEC (six).

On ESPN’s College Football Live show this week, college football analyst Joey Galloway and SportsCenter commentator/sports betting analyst “Stanford” Steve Coughlin were asked if they feel like the ACC will have more than five teams, or less than five teams, ranked in the top 25 at the end of the college football season.

Here’s what they had to say:

Coughlin: “I think in the ACC, there’s a gap between these five teams and the rest, so I say the same amount of teams. I like these five teams a lot. They bring a lot to the table. When you talk about the ACC, you’ve got to start with the quarterbacks — every one of these teams has a really good one. Clemson, what are they going to do to rebound from last year? Wake Forest goes to the title game, and Pitt’s a team — I know they lost (Kenny) Pickett, but they bring back everybody else. I really like Pitt this year to stay ranked as a team. And NC State brings back as much as anybody in the conference. So, those teams are very, very sustainable to me.”

Galloway: “When you say Pitt brings back everybody, they’re missing a key receiver (Jordan Addison), also Pickett missing. I don’t know I feel great about Pitt. I am surprised, though, that the ACC has more ranked teams than the Big Ten. I don’t think that will be the same in the end. So, I will take the ACC will drop one team out. Not sure who it’s going to be. I think that the ACC, as you look at the conferences across the country, they seem to have more parity, they seem to have more teams that have the ability to get hot and have a great season. I think it was great last season to see what Wake Forest did. Until we look at the ACC, I’m expecting one of these teams to drop out of the rankings, and there’ll be one less by the time the end of the season rolls around.”

Come out to support Clemson softball at Dear Old Clemson’s second event which is set for August 27 at the Madren Conference Center.  Clemson returns one of the top teams in the nation and adds some new talent to the mix.   If you sign up for certain club levels you get free access to all Dear Old Clemson events or purchase your tickets today at Dear Old Clemson.

ACC Partners with FishBait Solutions as Its Chief Revenue and Business Innovation Consultant

GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – The Atlantic Coast Conference announced today that FishBait Solutions will serve as the league’s Chief Revenue and Business Innovation Consultant. The partnership was formed by ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips and …

GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – The Atlantic Coast Conference announced today that FishBait Solutions will serve as the league’s Chief Revenue and Business Innovation Consultant. The partnership was formed by ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips and FishBait CEO Rob Temple, who will work closely with conference office staff and key institutional contacts to assist the conference in the areas of revenue generation and innovation opportunities.
FishBait will focus on a variety of projects intended to strategically identify and maximize revenue through new and existing partnerships as well as developing innovative solutions that drive value for ACC student-athletes, sponsored sports, member institutions and the entire conference enterprise. FishBait will also assist the conference office in maximizing opportunities with ACC Network.
The partnership is a continuation of the ACC’s strategic initiatives across a variety of areas including the league’s priority surrounding ACC Football, the ongoing conference office review and assessment, securing ACC Network full distribution (December 2021) and direct involvement in the future of college sports via Federal Legislation, NCAA Transformation Committee and College Football Playoff, among others.
Prior to today’s announcement, FishBait has participated in a number of introductory meetings including a presentation to the league’s Athletic Directors. Over the coming weeks, FishBait will have individual in-person meetings with each of the league’s 15 member schools and their respective leadership teams.
“FishBait brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to this partnership – including a deep love and appreciation for the ACC and its 15 world-class institutions,” said ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips, Ph.D. “The Fishbait team, led by Rob Temple, is both uniquely qualified and positioned to strategically assist our league in the areas of revenue and business innovation. They understand the corporate and collegiate landscape and how we can work together to provide significant opportunities that will benefit the ACC’s nearly 10,000 student athletes and 27 sponsored sports.”
“The through-line of my career, certainly including my years at ESPN, has been college sports, with a laser focus on unlocking long-term value and revenue to everyone’s benefit,” said Rob Temple, CEO of FishBait Solutions. “As a company, we’re thrilled to be working with Commissioner Phillips and the ACC. And as a lifelong ACC fan – this one’s personal for me, and we couldn’t be more excited for what’s ahead.”
Rob Temple was named CEO of FishBait Solutions in January 2021, after 18 years at ESPN, and is a graduate of the University of North Carolina (1988). As former Senior Vice President and head of ESPN Sports Marketing, which included ESPN’s significant college sports portfolio, Temple oversaw numerous groundbreaking deals for properties such as ESPN College GameDay Built by The Home Depot and the College Football Playoff. Temple was most recently the Senior Vice President Programming & Acquisitions.
On point with Rob Temple will be Rick Chryst, a FishBait consultant and a longtime college sports insider who served as Commissioner of the Mid-American Conference, ACC Assistant Commissioner (1992-99) and attended both Notre Dame (1983) and is an honors graduate of Duke Law School (1989). Additionally, FishBait Chief Creative Officer Rick Jones and Senior Advisor to FishBait, Pete Derzis, will also be engaged in the ACC assignment.
FishBait clients include the College Football Playoff, ESPN Events (17 owned and operated bowl games, college basketball events, women’s softball and more), Bowl Season, the National Football Foundation (NFF), National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), The Brandr Group and others in the college sports space.
About the ACC:
The Atlantic Coast Conference, now in its 70th year of competition and 15 members strong, has long enjoyed the reputation as one of the strongest and most competitive intercollegiate conferences in the nation. ACC members Boston College, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami, North Carolina, NC State, Notre Dame, Pitt, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest continue to build upon the cornerstones on which the league was founded in 1953 with a consistent balance of academics, athletics and integrity. The ACC currently sponsors 27 NCAA sports – 14 for women and 13 for men – with member institutions located in 10 states. In August 2019, ESPN and the ACC partnered to launch ACC Network (ACCN), a 24/7 national network dedicated to ACC sports and league-wide original programming. For more information, visit theACC.com and follow @theACC on Twitter and on Facebook (facebook.com/theACC).
About FishBait Solutions:
FishBait Solutions, LLC was founded in early 2021 by Rick Jones, Ron Cook and Rob Temple. Combining existing agencies and decades of experiences and connections, the agency counts numerous national brands as clients. FishBait sells and activates sponsorships within six divisions: Collegiate Sports, American Heritage, Youth Sports, Country Music, Travel/Food Festivals and Outdoor Lifestyle. With offices in nine states, it harnesses a dedicated team of seasoned strategic marketing and media executives, with expertise in experiential marketing, consulting, sales, communications strategy, content production and more.

Clemson leads with six on All-ACC Preseason Team

GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – Clemson leads all schools with six players on the 27-member 2022 All-Atlantic Coast Conference Preseason Football Team announced on Wednesday. NC State followed with five selections, including quarterback Devin Leary, …

GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) –  Clemson leads all schools with six players on the 27-member 2022 All-Atlantic Coast Conference Preseason Football Team announced on Wednesday.

NC State followed with five selections, including quarterback Devin Leary, who was voted the ACC Preseason Player of the Year.

Preseason honors were determined by a vote of 164 media members, including those who were credentialed for last week’s ACC Football Kickoff in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Clemson, which was picked by the media as the likely conference champion in the ACC Preseason Poll released earlier this week, placed a balanced contingent on the preseason All-ACC team with two players on offense and three on defense in addition to placekicker B.T. Potter.

NC State’s Leary is coming off a 2021 campaign in which he became the first and only quarterback in ACC history to hit the 35 (touchdowns)-5 (interceptions) threshold in a single season. He set a new school single-season record with his 35 passing touchdowns, breaking the previous mark of 34 held by Philip Rivers (2003).

Leary led the 2022 ACC Preseason Player of the Year balloting with 40 votes, followed by Wake Forest quarterback Sam Hartman (30) and Miami quarterback Tyler Van Dyke (21). A total of 11 players received votes.

North Carolina’s Josh Downs led all players named to the preseason team with 128 votes at wide receiver and was also selected as the team specialist with 57 votes at that position. Downs set program records in 2021 with 101 receptions and 1,335 receiving yards. He ranked third in the ACC (13th nationally) averaging 9.8 yards per punt return.

Clemson offensive tackle Jordan McFadden, who received 127 preseason votes, enters the 2022 campaign having played 1,971 career snaps over 42 career games (25 starts). He is joined on the preseason All-ACC offensive line by Miami tackle Zion Nelson, Louisville guard Caleb Chandler, Boston College guard Christian Mahogany and NC State center Grant Gibson.

Syracuse sophomore running back Sean Tucker placed third among all players with 125 votes following a 2021 season in which his 1,496 rushing yards set a program record. Leary and Tucker are joined in the All-ACC preseason backfield by Clemson’s Will Shipley, who rushed 149 times for 738 yards (5.0 avg.) with 11 touchdowns, caught 16 passes for 116 yards and averaged 27.1 yards on 14 kickoff returns as a freshman in 2021.

In addition to Downs, the preseason All-ACC wide receiver corps boasts two more perpetual big-play threats in Wake Forest’s A.T. Perry and Boston College’s Zay Flowers.

Perry set the Wake Forest single-season record with 15 touchdown receptions last season, three more than any other player in the program’s history. Flowers’ 122 career receptions rank 12th all-time at Boston College, while his 1,979 receiving yards are 10th on the Eagles’ all-time list.

Miami fifth-year senior Will Mallory led the preseason voting at tight end following a 2021 season with 30 receptions for 347 yards with four touchdowns. All-purpose back Keytaon Thompson of Virginia led the Cavaliers with 78 receptions for 990 yards last season while rushing for 247 yards and four touchdowns.

Clemson and NC State each placed three players on the defensive side of the preseason team following a 2021 season in which the Tigers led the ACC in total defense and the Wolfpack ranked third.

The Tigers earned two spots among the front four as end Myles Murphy (120 votes) and tackle Bryan Bresee (116) led the defensive balloting. They are joined by the Pitt tandem of end Habakkuk Baldonado and tackle Calijah Kancey, who combined for 16 quarterback sacks last season.

NC State’s Drake Thomas (fourth among ACC tacklers last season with 100) led the voting for the three-man linebacking corps and is joined by Clemson’s Trenton Simpson and the Wolfpack’s Payton Wilson.

Florida State safety Jammie Robinson, who tied for the conference lead in interceptions last season, led the preseason secondary balloting with 93 votes. He is joined by Louisville cornerback Kei’Trel Clark, Boston College cornerback Josh DeBerry and NC State safety Tanner Ingle.

Potter ranks fourth in Clemson history in career points by a kicker (344) and is the first Tiger to score at least 100 points in three different seasons. Miami’s Lou Hedley, a 2021 Ray Guy Award semifinalist, was the preseason choice at punter after averaging 44.9 yards on 47 punts last year.

2022 Preseason All-ACC Football Team
(Total votes in parenthesis)
QB         Devin Leary, NC State (56)
RB         Sean Tucker, Syracuse (125)
RB         Will Shipley, Clemson (112)
WR        Josh Downs, North Carolina (128)
WR        A.T. Perry, Wake Forest (111)
WR        Zay Flowers, Boston College (104)
TE          Will Mallory, Miami (69)
AP         Keytaon Thompson, Virginia (70)
OT         Jordan McFadden, Clemson (127)
OT         Zion Nelson, Miami (82)
OG        Caleb Chandler, Louisville (104)
OG        Christian Mahogany, Boston College (67)
C            Grant Gibson, NC State (90)

DE         Myles Murphy, Clemson (120)
DE         Habakkuk Baldonado, Pitt (54)
DT         Bryan Bresee, Clemson (116)
DT         Calijah Kancey, Pitt (62)
LB          Drake Thomas, NC State (92)
LB          Trenton Simpson, Clemson (82)
LB          Payton Wilson, NC State (60)
CB         Kei’Trel Clark, Louisville (70)
CB         Josh DeBerry, Boston College (65)
S            Jammie Robinson, Florida State (93)
S             Tanner Ingle, NC State (63)

PK         B.T. Potter, Clemson (99)
P            Lou Hedley, Miami (101)
SP          Josh Downs, North Carolina (57)

Preseason Player of the Year
1. Devin Leary, QB, NC State (40)
2. Sam Hartman, QB, Wake Forest (30)
3. Tyler Van Dyke, QB, Miami (21)
4. Bryan Breese, DT, Clemson (14)
4-t. Brennan Armstrong, QB, Virginia (14)
6-t. Malik Cunningham, QB, Louisville (12)
6-t. Josh Downs, WR, North Carolina (12)
8. Sean Tucker, RB, Syracuse (11)
9. Myles Murphy, DT, Clemson (5)
10. Trenton Simpson, LB, Clemson (3)
11. Jammie Robinson, S, Florida State (2)

–Press release courtesy of theacc.com

Come out to support Clemson softball at Dear Old Clemson’s second event which is set for August 27 at the Madren Conference Center.  Clemson returns one of the top teams in the nation and adds some new talent to the mix.   If you sign up for certain club levels you get free access to all Dear Old Clemson events or purchase your tickets today at Dear Old Clemson.

ACC Football Kickoff: Phillips Q&A Session

The 2022 ACC Football Kickoff in Charlotte kicked off Wednesday morning with ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips taking the podium at The Westin Charlotte. Phillips touched on a number of different topics, including conference realignment, College …

The 2022 ACC Football Kickoff in Charlotte kicked off Wednesday morning with ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips taking the podium at The Westin Charlotte.

Phillips touched on a number of different topics, including conference realignment, College Football Playoff expansion, the Grant of Rights, revenue and much more.

Check out Phillips’ question-and-answer session at the ACC Football Kickoff in The Clemson Insider’s video below:

Dear Old Clemson’s first event is July 24. Now there is a new way to support Clemson student-athletes. Come out and meet the freshmen football players at this meet and greet autograph session. If you sign up for certain club levels you get free access to all Dear Old Clemson events. Purchase your tickets today at Dear Old Clemson.

Narduzzi defends the ACC: ‘People need to wake up’

Amid all the conversation surrounding conference realignment and the chatter about how the Big Ten and SEC are poised to dominate college football as a pair of “superconferences,” Pittsburgh head coach Pat Narduzzi recently took a shot at the Big …

Amid all the conversation surrounding conference realignment and the chatter about how the Big Ten and SEC are poised to dominate college football as a pair of “superconferences,” Pittsburgh head coach Pat Narduzzi recently took a shot at the Big Ten and Michigan State, where he served as the Spartans’ defensive coordinator from 2007-14.

Narduzzi’s Pitt squad and his former MSU program clashed in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl last season, with the Panthers falling to the Spartans by a score of 31-21.

“We talk about Big Ten and SEC and ACC. That was one of the best Big Ten teams last year, then let’s go to the Big Ten and win it every year. So I don’t want to hear about this Big Ten dominance and SEC dominance,” Narduzzi said on the Bazzy’s Black and Gold Banter podcast.

On Thursday at the 2022 ACC Football Kickoff in Charlotte, Narduzzi was asked if he wanted to elaborate on those strong comments and explain why he felt that way.

“Not really,” Narduzzi said, laughing. “I guess it was a long summer.”

“You hear all these things during the summer about the Power 2s and all this stuff,” Narduzzi continued. “We’ll just start there. You know, we play some darn good football in the ACC, and I think people forget about it.”

Narduzzi went on to discuss the strength of the ACC and the strangeness of the 10-win season Dabo Swinney’s Clemson team posted in 2021 being perceived as a “down” year.

“I think Dabo made a comment yesterday about everybody talks about, oh, Clemson had a down year, and he is exactly right. People need to wake up,” Narduzzi said.

“How about the teams that are getting better? I think Pittsburgh is getting better, so we’ll start there. Again, any time you get — I’ve coached in the Big Ten for eight years, so I know it. I don’t know the SEC, so I’m not going to claim. I’ve never coached in the SEC, but I do know the Big Ten. I feel very confident — and, again, it’s not being arrogant. It’s just kind of knowing the landscape and knowing what we played against in the Peach Bowl, just would have liked to have our backup quarterback to play the whole game.”

“That’s just confidence,” Narduzzi added. “That’s no disrespect to the Big Ten or Michigan State. It’s just about Pitt and about the ACC.”

Narduzzi then clarified the point he was trying to make.

“I think ACC football is really, really good, and that’s really the comment there that I was trying to get across,” he said.

Dear Old Clemson’s first event is July 24. Now there is a new way to support Clemson student-athletes. Come out and meet the freshmen football players at this meet and greet autograph session. If you sign up for certain club levels you get free access to all Dear Old Clemson events. Purchase your tickets today at Dear Old Clemson.

Phillips addresses topic of College Football Playoff expansion

ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips addressed a number of topics when he took the podium Wednesday morning at the 2022 ACC Football Kickoff in Charlotte, including College Football Playoff expansion. Phillips said the conference “continues to be …

ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips addressed a number of topics when he took the podium Wednesday morning at the 2022 ACC Football Kickoff in Charlotte, including College Football Playoff expansion.

Phillips said the conference “continues to be supportive of an expanded College Football Playoff.” The league voted against expansion last year, he said, because issues such as the new FBS calendar need to be addressed.

“As you know, the ACC took what we believe was a necessary stance regarding last fall’s CFP proposal,” Phillips said. “This was based on what we feel we must all come together to address before rushing into a new model — the implantation of a 365-day calendar, health and safety, and several other items that you know well. Engagement is ongoing with our schools and my fellow commissioners to chart a path forward prior to the expiration of the current CFP contract in 2026. We had two great meetings in April and June, and I’m confident that our concerns and others’ concerns will be addressed, and a new model with greater access will ultimately come to pass. We will do our part in the ACC to make it happen, but there’s some more work to be done.”

Phillips indicated that progress on expansion has been made, saying that CFP commissioners have made “great progress” in their last two meetings this year.

Phillips expects there may be news at the end of August regarding progress toward a new CFP structure, though he said there’s a lot of things to discuss.

“We’re making progress with the Transformation Committee, and I think you’re going to see something at the end of August that’s pretty substantial, with more work to be done,” Phillips said. “I think these things are walking along together, along with a new NCAA president. I don’t expect us in September, when we get together, to line up and announce a new CFP structure.

“But I think we made great progress over our last two meetings, both in April and in June, and everybody’s motivated to come together. So, I don’t know that there’s this separation now with those things. We’ll see. But I think the health and safety, the 365-day calendar review… We’ve talked about access, automatic qualifiers… there’s a lot of things to discuss. But those things, again, I would tell you I do not think have really separated that much.”

Dear Old Clemson’s first event is July 24. Now there is a new way to support Clemson student-athletes. Come out and meet the freshmen football players at this meet and greet autograph session. If you sign up for certain club levels you get free access to all Dear Old Clemson events. Purchase your tickets today at Dear Old Clemson.

Is Swinney still on top in this national outlet’s ACC coach rankings?

This offseason, CBS Sports has been taking a look at how coaches in the power conferences stack up against each other entering the 2022 season. On Friday, CBS Sports published its ACC coach rankings for 2022, and no surprise, Clemson’s Dabo Swinney …

This offseason, CBS Sports has been taking a look at how coaches in the power conferences stack up against each other entering the 2022 season.

On Friday, CBS Sports published its ACC coach rankings for 2022, and no surprise, Clemson’s Dabo Swinney remains on top in the rankings after also being No. 1 in the same national outlet’s ACC rankings last year.

Swinney, though, slipped to No. 3 behind Alabama’s Nick Saban and Georgia’s Kirby Smart in CBS Sports’ ranking of the top 25 Power Five college football coaches entering the 2022 season, which was released earlier this offseason after a panel of CBS Sports college football experts cast their ballots.

Here’s what the CBS Sports ACC coach rankings article, penned by Chip Patterson, had to say about Swinney:

He may be the only active coach not named Nick Saban to have multiple national championships, but the “down year” of 10-3 did result in Swinney giving up the No. 2 spot in our full Power Five rankings,” As far as the ACC goes, there’s no argument for No. 1, so Swinney maintains his spot at the top of these breakout rankings while a reshuffled staff looks to reclaim the Tigers’ spot at the top of the ACC standings.

Wake Forest’s Dave Clawson is ranked No. 2 behind Swinney, with new Miami coach Mario Cristobal coming in at No. 3.

North Carolina’s Mack Brown, NC State’s Dave Doeren, Pitt’s Pat Narduzzi, Boston College’s Jeff Hafley, Louisville’s Scott Satterfield, Florida State’s Mike Norvell and Syracuse’s Dino Babers round out the top 10, in that order.

Georgia Tech’s Geoff Collins checks in at No. 11 in CBS Sports’ ACC coach rankings, followed by former Clemson offensive coordinator and new Virginia head coach Tony Elliott at No. 12.

The bottom two in the rankings are new Duke coach Mike Elko at No. 13 and new Virginia Tech coach Brent Pry at No. 14.

Dear Old Clemson’s first event is July 24.  Now there is a new way to support Clemson student athletes.  Come out and meet the freshmen football players at this meet and greet autograph session.  If you sign up for certain club levels you get free access to all Dear Old Clemson events.  Purchase your tickets today at Dear Old Clemson.

From the studio: An improved Atlantic Division await the Tigers

Clemson hopes to regain their spot on the top of the Atlantic Coast Conference this season. What challenges await the Tigers? Robert and Davis hit the TCI studio to discuss the upcoming season for the Tigers. Who are the challengers in the Atlantic? …

Clemson hopes to regain their spot on the top of the Atlantic Coast Conference this season.  What challenges await the Tigers?

Robert and Davis hit the TCI studio to discuss the upcoming season for the Tigers.  Who are the challengers in the Atlantic?  Will the Tigers return to the top of the ACC?  We go in-depth on the upcoming ACC season.