Syracuse University athletic director Daryl Gross says the school’s move to the Atlantic Coast Conference is a ‘great fit’ for the Orange. Gross made the remark during a radio appearance on The Score 1260 in Syracuse with Dan Tortora.
Here are some excerpts of the interview, courtesy of Sports Radio Interviews:
When did everything come together for a decision that it was time to move to a new conference?:
“I think it’s been a long, long, long process. When I say long, let me put some time-frame on it. When you go back to when the Big Ten announced and made a formal announcement that they were going to evaluate their conference, I think that was a time where folks started to do some self-evaluation of their own institutions. … When you start thinking about all the topics in college athletics, budgets not balancing, and those types of things, everybody’s looking at the long-term. … We’ve been doing this for a long time and we came to the conclusion that we were well-prepared to either enhance our own conference or we would be attractive for someone else if something started to move in the country. … It’s tough leaving the Big East and the history there, but it’s going to be a different world when we wake up in the next few months here. I think it’s great we were proactive and able to move fast.”
What does this move mean for Syracuse?:
“Academically, it’s a great fit. I like to call it … the Ivy League of the BCS schools. I really believe that. … It’s the big picture really. And it’s nice that we happen to have the same common interests athletically.”
How competitive will your football and basketball teams be in the ACC?:“We went out and played a good Southern California football team … and they’ve got the best talent in the country. … We’re very proud of our team because, except for a couple of big plays, we’re able to physically hang in there with them. … We think football-wise … we’re going to be a great contender in the ACC. Obviously, in basketball, where we’re well-more established as far as recruiting and talent and Hall of Famer Jim Boeheim, I think we have a chance to be the cream of the ACC as well.”