Boston College is in the ACC, but when?

GREENSBORO, N.C. - The Atlantic Coast Conference formally introduced Boston College as its 12th member Friday, ending speculation on where league would look next as it expanded.<br> <br> The question now is when the Eagles&#39; athletic programs will begin play in the ACC.<br> <br> Boston College and the Big East Conference which lost three high-profile programs to the ACC have not reached terms for the school&#39;s departure. Big East bylaws require 27 months notice to leave the conference, or colleges face a reported $5 million exit fee.<br> <br> Athletics director Gene DeFilippo said he expected the move to come no later than July 1, 2006. The Rev. William Leahy, Boston College&#39;s president, said the school has filed a request in a Boston court seeking a determination of exit terms.<br> <br> ``That has to get sorted out,&#39;&#39; Leahy said Friday at a news conference. ``Whatever the lawyers determine is certainly what Boston College will do in the way of an exit requirement.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> Once that happens, the ACC will be set to hold a lucrative football championship game. The league is trying to get a waiver to an NCAA rule requiring 12-team membership to hold the event. But the league plans an 11-team league next season with the addition of gridiron powers Miami and Virginia Tech.<br> <br> Once Boston College joins, the ACC will create two six-team football divisions. One division will include Maryland, Clemson, North Carolina State, Wake Forest, Florida State and Boston College. The other will include Virginia, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Duke, Miami and Virginia Tech.<br> <br> Teams will play all five opponents in their own division, a primary rival in the opposite division and two other cross-divisional opponents on a rotating basis.<br> <br> The plans are in place. Now all the league can do is wait on Boston College.<br> <br> ``We&#39;re just pleased that this has worked out and they will be coming,&#39;&#39; ACC commissioner John Swofford said. ``We&#39;re set to move as 11 for a year or two if we need to. In the very near future, we&#39;ll be set to move as 12. So we&#39;re going to be prepared either way.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> Swofford said the league would likely have enough time to plan a football championship game for next season if Boston College is able to join in 2004.<br> <br> The decision came four months after Boston College was passed over in the ACC&#39;s initial expansion push.<br> <br> Boston College and Syracuse were the Big East schools in the ACC&#39;s original plans along with Miami but were voted down in favor of adding the Hurricanes and Hokies. Duke, North Carolina and N.C. State voted against adding Boston College at the time.<br> <br> But other pro-expansion schools in the ACC kept pushing for a 12th member due to the lack of a guaranteed football title game and scheduling headaches in a league with deep-rooted rivalries. On Sunday, the league&#39;s chancellors and presidents voted 9-0 to add the Eagles.<br> <br> ``Certainly we were very disappointed when we weren&#39;t selected in June, but you don&#39;t take things personally in our profession,&#39;&#39; DeFilippo said. ``You do what&#39;s best for your institution, and that&#39;s what we did.&#39;&#39;