PITTSBURGH — On Wednesday, the ACC Football Kickoff will get underway in Charlotte, N.C.
Pat Narduzzi and three Pitt players — linebacker SirVocea Dennis, defensive end Deslin Alexandre and offensive tackle Carter Warren — won’t join the media day festivities until the Coastal teams participate on Thursday. But Wednesday will be eventful, too, with Commissioner Jim Phillips taking the podium at 9:30 a.m.
Amid everything going on in college football — there’s a lot — it ought to be quite the scene at The Westin Charlotte. We’ll be there providing on-site coverage this week, but here’s a primer on what you should be looking out for as the ACC Kickoff gets underway.
Conference realignment
Last year, news of Texas and Oklahoma’s move to the SEC broke hours after Phillips left the podium at ACC media days. Now, he’ll try to explain where the ACC fits in the realignment aftermath of USC and UCLA going to the Big Ten.
As it stands, the ACC’s grant of rights agreement is staving off any potential mass exodus. The TV rights agreement runs through 2036, and it would be costly — think nine figures — for an ACC school to break that and join a different conference.
But what is the ACC’s future beyond that looming expiration date? And what if programs like Clemson, Florida State, Miami, North Carolina and Virginia — schools rumored to be coveted elsewhere — decide to bite that financial bullet with a long-term view at the Big Ten and SEC’s overwhelming TV money?
Phillips won’t have all the answers on Wednesday when he addresses a ballroom full of media members and a national television audience. But it will be worthwhile to monitor what he, along with the conference’s high-profile coaches, say about realignment, the grant of rights and the possibility of re-opening their agreement with ESPN.
The Irish domino
It looks like the Big Ten and SEC are happy to be at 16 members — at least for the time being. If Notre Dame came calling, that stance would change in a heartbeat.
College football’s preeminent independent power carries a lot of weight in the realignment discussion. Every conference wants the Fighting Irish, but only one — if they choose to give up their cherished independence — can have them.
The ACC would hope they have the inside track if that ever happened. In 2012, Notre Dame agreed to play five ACC football games per season in exchange for having the rest of its sports compete in the ACC full-time. During the COVID-affected 2020 campaign, Notre Dame participated as a full conference member in football.
At last year’s media days, Phillips called that 2020 one-off “a really beautiful and beneficial relationship to both Notre Dame and the ACC.” Phillips later added: “They know the ACC’s interest. It’s been less than bashful.”
You could argue the ACC’s interest is even greater now that it has to compete against two growing super-conferences in the Big Ten and SEC.
Goodbye divisions
This year is Coastal Chaos’ swan song.
In 2023, divisions will be eliminated after the ACC announced a new scheduling model last month. The 3-5-5 structure allows each team to play every ACC team at least once every four years. Teams will play their primary opponents annually and the 10 remaining teams twice every four years, home and home. At the end of the season, the teams with the highest ACC winning percentages will meet in the title game.
Pitt’s annual teams are former Big East rivals Syracuse, Boston College and Virginia Tech. What does Narduzzi think about that trio? And do any coaches have major issues with the scheduling change?
Jordan Addison fallout
At this point, those in Pitt’s locker room have moved on from Jordan Addison’s transfer to USC. Speaking to Warren and Alexandre last month, they wished him well but focused on the players still on the team. But it was a national story and one that will be addressed in Charlotte, alongside name, image and likeness and the transfer portal.
Narduzzi — who hasn’t met with local media since an impromptu post-draft Kenny Pickett press conference — hasn’t fielded questions about Addison in an open setting.
Narduzzi will undoubtedly be asked about the Biletnikoff Award winner whose departure featured reported NIL implications and alleged tampering by USC. But he’ll likely take a page out of his players’ book, make his answer brief and focus on those in the building.
Pitt’s title defense
This is what Narduzzi will understandably want to focus on. For the first time, the Panthers will arrive in Charlotte as reigning ACC champions.
That’s a big deal. For six straight seasons, Clemson dominated the conference. But Pitt’s breakthrough last year — beating Clemson in the regular season before throttling Wake Forest at Bank of America Stadium — is something the Panthers can build on even without Pickett, Addison and offensive coordinator Mark Whipple.
In 2021, Pitt was picked to finish fourth in the Coastal division by media members assembled in Charlotte. North Carolina was the favorite, followed by Miami and Virginia Tech. It’ll be interesting to see how the poll shakes out this time around.
According to Vegas Insider, Pitt is the fourth favorite to win the ACC with 12/1 odds. Clemson (5/7) leads the way, followed by NC State (7/1) and Miami (7/1).
