Big East Pursue Meeting on ACC Expansion

UNDATED - Big East presidents sent letters to their ACC counterparts Wednesday, seeking a meeting about their expansion plans and urging them not to &#34;rush to judgment.&#34;<br> <br> The Big East schools want to know more about the plans to invite Miami, Boston College and Syracuse to the Atlantic Coast Conference, so the presidents asked Clemson&#39;s James Barker, the chair of the ACC presidents, to arrange the meeting.<br> <br> &#34;We feel quite certain that no ACC president or chancellor would want to rush to judgment on such a potentially harmful plan without having complete information, and we believe we have insights to share that could not be effectively communicated by anyone else,&#34; the Big East presidents wrote in the letter obtained by The Associated Press.<br> <br> ACC leaders received the letter Wednesday afternoon, just hours before they were to hold a teleconference to discuss the plan. ACC commissioner John Swofford was not immediately available for comment.<br> <br> On Tuesday, ACC presidents discussed the matter for more than two hours, but did not vote.<br> <br> &#34;We are now requesting that you work with us to arrange for a discussion,&#34; the letter said. &#34;We do so respectfully and in the spirit of collegiality and open communication that has long been one of the hallmarks of American higher education.&#34;<br> <br> The letter is the next step in the Big East&#39;s attempt to stop the ACC expansion plan, which would take it from nine to 12 teams and strip the Big East of three of its core football schools.<br> <br> Last Friday, the five schools that would be left behind - Pittsburgh, Connecticut, Virginia Tech, West Virginia and Rutgers - sued the ACC, Miami and BC, seeking millions in damages and an injunction against expansion.<br> <br> The letter, from the presidents of the five schools, was the latest indication that the Big East is still interested in resolving the matter without going to court. On Tuesday, Big East presidents held a conference call with media in which they urged the NCAA or another impartial party to mediate.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2003/6/177672