ACC Athletic Directors Meet With Private Equity Firm Over 'Super League' Proposal

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Athletic directors representing Atlantic Coast Conference member schools met for a presentation Wednesday from private equity firm SMASH Capital regarding the college football super league proposal known as "Project Rudy."

Sports Illustrated staff writer Mike McDaniel, citing a social media post by YahooSports college football writer Ross Dellenger, the solely informational presentation was a small portion of a meeting that was largely focused on the House v. NCAA settlement. The ACC did not take a position on the super league proposal, nor did the conference make any commitments to it.

The report of the meeting with ACC athletic directors and SMASH Capital comes on the heels of Baylor president and Big 12 Conference chair Linda Livingstone sending a letter to school presidents in her league — as well as the ACC, Big Ten and SEC — that was meant to hold an urgent meeting regarding the future of college athletics. "To date, the Big Ten and SEC have shown little interest in meeting, which should come as little surprise given SEC commissioner Greg Sankey's comments on the conference being a super league in and of itself," McDaniel wrote.

According to McDaniel, SMASH Capital's super league plan incorporates the four power conferences into a 70-team structure that would expand the postseason, modify scheduling, tier revenue distribution and infuse as much as $9 billion in private capital cash for the schools involved. SMASH Capital's architects for the college football super league include former Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick.

There is no word on whether or not meetings will continue between SMASH Capital and other conferences regarding its proposal, McDaniel reported.

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