Andrea Adelson, ESPN Senior Writer 9y

ACC winter meetings set to begin

ACC winter meetings get underway in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, this afternoon. Though there is nothing on the table that needs an immediate vote, athletic directors will be discussing a wide range of topics.

Among them:

Autonomy. Now that Power 5 conferences have the autonomy they wanted, there will be discussion about how any decisions made will impact both the league and member schools and their real-world applications. Cost of attendance is sure to be a topic, as schools try to figure out a way to pay for the added expense at a time when revenues do not meet expenses in many athletic departments. Boston College voted against cost of attendance legislation, though the school will go ahead and pay for the cost increases.

Television. There have been recent reports that the ACC Network is getting closer to reality. Florida State president John Thrasher seemed optimistic in recent comments. So did Virginia Tech athletic director Whit Babcock, who put a potential launch at 2016 or 2017. Television partners will be at the winter meetings, but they have annual face time with league reps. There is no set agenda for in-depth discussions about an ACC Network, but that doesn't mean plans are on the shelf. There has been progress made toward that end, but it would be premature to say the league was nearly ready to make a big announcement. League officials still have no timetable for when a network could come to fruition.

Scheduling. North Carolina and Wake Forest announced a nonconference series earlier this week that has drawn support from inside the ACC. Whether this becomes a trend remains to be seen, but surely athletic directors will have discussions about the pros and cons. However, the unconventional move does not mean the league is going to start rethinking how it handles its schedule. The vote last year to remain at eight league games has essentially put the scheduling questions to rest. Whether ACC schools want to schedule each other outside league play is an institutional decision.

One other topic that could come up is the College Football Playoff. Clemson athletic director Dan Radakovich served on the playoff committee, and several athletic directors have mentioned they want to get his perspective to perhaps get a better idea of what they should be looking to do with their programs moving forward. There is no set agenda for Radakovich to address the group, but it wouldn't be a surprise if smaller group discussions took place.

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