COLLEGES ACC leaders will discuss expansion

Duke, North Carolina and Virginia are holding out.
KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
Atlantic Coast Conference presidents are tentatively set to convene, via conference call, on Wednesday morning and might vote on expansion at that time, a North Carolina State spokesman said Monday.
Spokesman Tim Lucas said by telephone that chancellor Marye Anne Fox's office was told a call has been set for 7 a.m. Wednesday, but stopped short of calling it definite.
ACC commissioner John Swofford will decide during the call whether he has enough support to hold a vote on extending invitations to Miami, Boston College and Syracuse.
The schools will accept the invitations if offered, sources have said. There is urgency for all parties to resolve the matter before July 1, when the Big East exit fee jumps from $1 million to $2 million.
In fact, UM officials have informed Swofford they would like an answer by the end of the month, a UM official said by telephone Monday.
Swofford discussed details of expansion with ACC athletic directors via conference call Monday. Division alignment remains a major issue among the athletic directors, who want to preserve as many games as possible against natural rivals.
Among ACC expansion proponents, there's hope Duke will become the seventh "yes" vote to expand. It is believed the ACC has six "yes" votes but needs a seventh among Duke, North Carolina and Virginia before invitations can be extended.
FSU president T.K. Wetherell has predicted expansion will happen this week. Another ACC source expressed optimism, but said expansion wasn't certain.
FSU has denied reports it would consider changing conferences if the ACC votes against expanding. The Southeastern Conference could pursue FSU or UM if ACC expansion doesn't materialize.