Miami Football is the third biggest brand in the ACC behind only Florida State and Clemson, but they don’t seem to be as eager to leave the conference as their two conference comrades. In a surprising statement by ACC athletic director Dan Radakovich on 560Sports WQAM, Radakovich stated that they are not looking to leave the conference.
“We are incredibly solic with the ACC, it’s a great conference and provides great structure and certainly access to the College Football Playoff…We look at our circumstance here…and ask are we in a good spot and growing our football program?…The ACC is still one of the Power Four conferences that’s a part of the College Football Playoff.”
There are three reasons why Radakovich may have said these statements for the Hurricanes. They will be outlined below.
1. If Clemson and Florida State Leave, Miami Would Be the Face of the Conference
With a 14 (16?) team playoff, access to the college football playoff is now significantly easier. Never again will a team go undefeated and find themselves on the outside looking in. If Clemson and Florida State were to leave, Miami would become the biggest brand and probably make the playoff at least 50% of the time since they would have no issue recruiting at a high level and selling recruits the idea of being able to play for a championship.
2. Coach Talk
In today’s world, everyone has to take what a coach or athletic director says with a grain of salt. Far too many times, a coach or AD says something and then does the exact opposite the next minute. The Hurricanes may want to put themselves in a good light and seem loyal to the ACC so that they can cover all its bases. If the conference does fall apart, Miami would probably have no issue finding a new home. If Clemson and Florida State lose their court case, it will paint a bad image of those two programs, something the Hurricanes may want to avoid.
Either way, they win and are seen as a team that wants to cooperate with its conference, whether that is the ACC or not.
Radakovich Knows Something Nobody Else Does
Miami is in a weird spot because the Big 10 may just want Florida State, and the SEC may not want a second school in Florida. It may be in their best interest to remain in the conference and be the top team there rather than go to the Big 12 or be left out of a P4 conference completely.
Additionally, there is, of course, the possibility that Radakovich knows something that the media and common fans don’t. Maybe the ACC is already discussing a new media distribution plan that would pay schools like Miami more than other schools since they have a bigger brand. Or perhaps the conference has already announced plans in case Florida State and Clemson do leave that would benefit the Hurricanes significantly.
“We’re a program that’s moving forward. As a university, we’re moving forward and on the rise, both academically and other areas.”
– Dan Radakovich
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