Louisville is #174 in US News. West Virginia is #241. To the extent those matter of course.
The Athletic article on new ACC commish Jim Phillips and his different approach to football. Lots of quotes from Clawson.
New ACC commissioner Jim Phillips is keeping the football lines of communication open and gaining support as he goes
https://theathletic.com/2724874/202...nication-open-and-gaining-support-as-he-goes/
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“More than anything, as football coaches we felt we had very little voice,” Clawson told The Athletic. “We’d have these annual meetings and we’d have suggestions and, quite honestly, really nothing would happen. … And the one thing I really appreciate about Commissioner Phillips is he’s been very open, he’s been very engaging. We complained that we felt we didn’t have a voice, and he said, ‘Well, I want to give you access.’ I said, ‘We want meetings with you and ADs that we can express concerns. And if you say no, then fine, but then just tell us no. Don’t take these things and just put them off to some file that they never get looked at.’
“And it’s been good. There’s a lot of different things going on. Certain things are always going to be, you do what’s best for where you’re working. And then I think a lot of things are just things that we think are best for the ACC and college football.”
Clawson is in his third year as chair of the ACC head coaches’ committee, a position that usually has a one-year term but was extended after 2019 to stabilize matters during the pandemic in 2020, then extended another year with the commissioner transition.
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“We want to become more than just Clemson-plus,” Clawson said of the league’s football power structure. “And what can we do to elevate the standard in the way that we are viewed right there with the SEC? And obviously, Clemson has held the banner for us, they’ve done an incredible job. But what do we do to help to elevate the brand, to make our football even better than it is? We come up with ideas and things that we feel are important, but it takes investment, and hopefully, that’s something that’s coming.”
As Swinney held a similar discussion with The Athletic later in the day, the Clemson coach spoke of his holistic approach to the committee, and to the league’s football identity. Clawson was walking by and came over to validate his conference colleague’s stance, saying: “He could just drive Clemson, and he doesn’t do that. He really does what’s best for college football. And that’s why all the coaches in our league really appreciate him.”
“And vice versa,” Swinney said. “That’s been great. We’ve been in the league awhile and we’ve never had an opportunity as coaches to have the access like we’ve had. We really have been able to communicate so much better.”