Swofford says historic meeting with Clemson BOT was an "educational opportunity"

Swofford says he has a close relationship with Clemson's James Barker

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Sun Jul 22 14:53:45 GMT-04:00 2012

GREENSBORO, NC – To say that ACC Commissioner John Swofford’s recent meeting with the Clemson Board of Trustees was historic is not an understatement.

In fact, Swofford said Sunday afternoon that his trip to Clemson to meet with university president James Barker, Clemson coaches and the Clemson BOT was a first for him, and that he was happy to accept Barker’s invitation.

“That was the first time in my 15 years that I have met with an entire Board of Trustees,” Swofford said during his annual state of the union address at the ACC Kickoff at Greensboro’s Grandover Resort. “We’re here to serve the institutions. Any time they have a need for that, we’re here for them."

Swofford was then asked if he was confident in Clemson staying in the ACC, and he said yes – “In a word, totally.”

He also said he was confident in the long-term viability of the conference and that he was never really concerned about any of the schools leaving the conference.

"That’s never been an issue in my mind at all," Swofford said. "You’re looking at a group of schools that is together for all the right reasons. We’ve just solidified our place in the football postseason going forward. There’s just plus after plus after plus in this conference going forward.”

Swofford told TigerNet in an exclusive interview that he fielded questions for two hours, and covered everything from the league’s new television contract with ESPN, the new contract with the Orange Bowl and the Bowl Subdivision’s four-game playoff that is set to start in 2014.

He also told TigerNet that he never got the feeling that any members of the board were ever serious about leaving the ACC for perceived greener pastures.

“No, that is not what I got at all,” he said. “What I took from it was that it was more of an educational opportunity– they wanted to know more about the ACC, where we were headed, the mission and what the values are going forward.”

He said that there was also a chance to explain the new television contract, a hot topic of debate since many see the numbers and assume the ACC is falling behind other conferences economically.

“They wanted to understand our television contract better, and we were able to discuss that,” he said. “It was all very, very positive. I felt really good about the meeting. They wanted to know how some decisions were made, what we see in the future and what we need to do to make sure that we are as good as we can possibly be as a league.”

Swofford said that he is in almost constant contact with Barker, and felt like he had a solid grasp on Clemson’s intentions throughout the spring.

“I see President Barker and talk to him a lot,” Swofford said. “He is our senior CEO in the ACC, and I depend on him a lot for insight and advice. He is very well-respected in the league because he has been around longer than anybody. In fact, when a new president comes into the ACC, I usually recommend to them that if they are looking for a mentor in terms of athletics, I recommend Jim Barker. Because of his experience and the prominent role he has played in a lot of important decisions in our league. He is great to work with, insightful and smart, and he understands athletics. As a commissioner, that is the kind of person you want around you.”