Sept. 18, 2011
Clemson Athletic Director Terry Don Phillips and Head Men’s Basketball Coach Brad Brownell statements regarding Sunday’s news that the Atlantic Coast Conference extended formal invitations for membership to Pittsburgh and Syracuse:
Terry Don PhillipsClemson Athletic Director “This is a good decision for our conference. We are adding two programs that have won the national championship in football and been consistently outstanding in basketball. That includes Syracuse winning the National Championship in 2003 and Pittsburgh’s five Sweet 16 appearances in the last decade. The addition of Syracuse and Pittsburgh extends our footprint on the Eastern seaboard, which further enhances the national exposure of all of our universities and athletic programs.
“We can accomplish all of our goals in all sports in the Atlantic Coast Conference. That most assuredly includes football. Our challenge individually as a university, as well as collectively as a league is to continue to improve in all facets of our program. That includes facility improvements and other infrastructure, and the attraction of outstanding coaches and student-athletes to our campus.”
Brad BrownellHead Men’s Basketball Coach “This certainly strengthens our league, and reaffirms the ACC as the best basketball league in the country. We’ve added two of the better programs in the Big East and brought a great deal of attention to our league right now.
“Jim Boeheim is a Hall of Fame coach and has won a national championship. Jamie Dixon has done an unbelievable job at Pittsburgh; they’ve been one of the top programs in the Big East ever since he took over.
“The move certainly gives our conference more of a presence in the Northeast. That should help everyone in terms of recruiting in that area. At the same time, our league will be exposed to television markets it has not been in the past.”
April 24, 2024
