June 25, 1999

GREENSBORO, N.C. - ACC Commissioner John Swofford commented Friday on reports of possible expansion by the Atlantic Coast Conference.

"There is a genuine interest in discussing what is best for the league, and part of that discussion is whether or not expansion would be positive," said Swofford.

"We have not made a decision about whether we want to expand or not. The thing that is important is that we thoroughly evaluate it and we will do so on a continual basis. Our Conference is blessed with a great deal of tradition, and our member institutions value that."

The Atlantic Coast Conference was founded on May 8, 1953, at the Sedgefield Inn near Greensboro, N.C. with seven charter members - Clemson, Duke, Maryland, North Carolina, North Carolina State, South Carolina and Wake Forest - drawing up the conference by laws.

On December 4, 1953, conference officials met again at Sedgefield and officially admitted the University of Virginia. The first, and only, withdrawal of a school from the ACC came on June 30, 1971 when the University of South Carolina tendered its resignation.

The conference operated with seven members until April 3, 1978, when Georgia Tech was admitted. The Atlanta school had withdrawn from the Southeastern Conference in January of 1964.

The ACC expanded to nine members on July 1, 1991, with the addition of Florida State.