Dan Radakovich addresses realignment, Miami's future in the ACC

Amid the flurry of conference realignment the last few years, the ACC has stood pat and is biding time — in no small part because of a grant of rights that runs until 2036 — and Miami athletic director Dan Radakovich doesn’t see that reality changing any time soon.

As for how the ACC can keep up with the SEC and Big Ten in the member-adding arms race, Radakovich — formerly Clemson’s AD — said the conference is examining the various possibilities. The Miami AD also shared that the ACC might find ways to try and keep up that don’t involve adding new schools, but didn’t offer specifics.

“But I will tell you, the ACC — and we’re a proud member of the ACC — how are we going to get better as a conference? I mean it’s well known we have a grant of rights, our TV contract goes through ’36.” Radakovich said a recent press conference. “We need to do things within the conference that allow our members to continue to be competitive. And those are the things that we’re working on right now with our league office. I can’t give you details as to what that’s going to be, because the plans are still moving forward. But you see the SEC and where they’ve moved forward, you’ve seen the Big Ten and where they’ve moved forward, I think it’s time now for the ACC to really look in and see where we can take the next step within our league. Whether it’s staying within the number of teams that we have right now or expanding it. Our presidents and the league office in Greensboro continue to work on that quite vigorously.”

While adding new members remains a possibility for the ACC, based on Radakovich’s remarks, he emphasized that it would be effectively a legal impossibility for Miami — or any ACC member — to leave prior to the end of the grant of rights and television contract in 2036.

“Right now, it’s a circumstance where we have a grant of rights with the ACC. And until something changes along those lines, that’s a lot of work going down a path that probably, at this time, can’t happen, because of the legalities,” Radakovich said.

As for where this is all headed, ultimately, Radakovich might have a hand in shaping the route, his prediction for where this all ends is as good as anyones.

“That’s a great question and we can all throw a dollar into a pot here and try to figure out exactly where that’s going to go over the next few years,” Radakovich said.