On the latest episode of Locked On Women’s Basketball, host Missy Heidrick brings the post-Olympics focus back to the NCAA, and the changes coming to women’s basketball. Heidrick is joined by the Next’s Mitchell Northam to to discuss changes in the ACC—specifically, how the conference will function with a west coast arm. Heidrick and Northam also discuss the Clemson and Florida State lawsuit and more swirling topics in the world of women’s college basketball.
Heidrick opens the show by asking Northam about his views on the ACC now that three new teams have joined the conference. Northam, who attended the ACC football media days, acknowledges that it was weird to see SMU, Stanford, and Cal at the events. “The messaging from the ACC, though, is that this is a good thing for the league,” Northam explains. “I think their strategy, why they chose to add those three teams despite objections … their argument is that this preserves the future of the league.”
Heidrick and Northam also break down the latest updates to the ongoing drama that are the FSU and Clemson lawsuits against the ACC. “At the ACC media day, the commissioner gives a state of the conference and takes questions,” Northam explains, “and this was the most declarative and defiant he’s ever been. He gave the sense that the ACC is not going to roll over or settle … they have no incentive to settle … it will be drawn out as long as possible.”
Later on, Heidrick and Northam discuss one of the more random changes that the ACC made—bringing in SMU. “Dallas-Fort Worth is a big market,” Heidrick explains, “but SMU joining the league is a little bit different than two teams [Stanford and Cal] that were somewhat homeless without a league.”
Northam agrees. “SMU just wanted to be in the country club,” he says. “They wanted to be Power 5—now Power 4—and they were willing to sacrifice. They’re not taking any money from the ACC for a few years, they really just wanted to be in the club. On the football side, there’s been a ton of reinvestment, fans are excited about being in a big league. I wonder if that will trickle down to women’s basketball.”
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