ACC has to go behind the better product (SEC) and be aligned with the best time for carriage re-negotiations. The deals done and not done thus far for ACCN prove this point.

The only alternative was to buy out early from Raycom, not include Tier-3 in ESPN negotiation of higher tiers (how would have price been affected?), and pray some smaller operation could effectively sell the product and get widespread adoption of the network. With football being the driver and Tier-3 ACC games being low rated (ESPN would never release Clem/GT or even VT/BC to some other provider) how could it print money like everyone assume it would? I am willing to listen to counter arguments but it seems people are so anti-Swofford it clouds their thinking on this. Yes, Swofford hoodwinked the presidents (who have to approve all plans) out of millions because of his son. Right.