CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- ACC commissioner John Swofford believes the independent investigation into the academic scandal at North Carolina only will help the NCAA in pursuing its case against the Tar Heels.
"I do think that the [Kenneth] Wainstein report will go a long way toward helping the NCAA maybe complete its case and bring closure to it because it's been a long few years with some of the situations that have occurred there," Swofford told ESPN on Wednesday.
"They've made significant changes as I've said they'll probably continue to make some changes. And I think now the important thing is for the NCAA to finish its work and bring closure to it."
Wainstein, a former U.S. Department of Justice official, reported that 3,100 students, of which 48 percent were athletes, took the so-called "paper classes" in the Afro-American studies department.
Swofford was the athletic director at North Carolina from 1980 to '97. He said he saw no warning signs of the scandal while there.
"We had no idea of anything that you know was going on in regards to those courses, which at that time were truly independent study courses -- and some independent study courses are outstanding actually at quality institutions -- but it never came up in any way shape or form," Swofford told ESPN.
Swofford also called the upcoming hearing between Syracuse and the NCAA Committee on Infractions concerning.
"Anytime there is an NCAA investigation, it's concerning," Swofford told reporters at ACC media days, according to Syracuse.com. "It could be the most benign NCAA investigation ever and I'd call it concerning."
Swofford also said coaches shouldn't be involved in dealing with academics on campus.
"That's really generally not a coach's place or an athletic director's place for that matter," Swofford said. "I see it as somewhat of a separation of church and state with athletics and academics, but you do have to marry the two in the sense that maintaining the student athlete's lifestyle and being able to do his or her work and at the same time compete at the highest level. And that's a challenge, but there are separations as to what really is athletics and what's academics."
Swofford said he doesn't have a fear about the NCAA's possible decision or penalties in the UNC case.
"It just needs to play out and be brought to conclusion," he said. "And then I think Carolina will be ready as any institution would to move forward from that point and hopefully that point comes sooner rather than later."
Swofford touted the ACC's academic accomplishments of the previous year during his opening remarks at media days. Asked if the UNC scandal has somehow tainted the athletic-academic brand, he said it has not been eroded.
"Our cornerstones in this league are the balance of academics with nationally competitive athletic programs, doing it in compliance with NCAA rules," he said. "And that won't change."
Information from ESPN.com's CL Brown was used in this report.