CHARLOTTE — ACC Commissioner John Swofford has much to be proud of with the ACC winning both men’s basketball and football national titles this year. But the topic of discussion today was the launch of the ACC Network on August 22. 

Swofford on ACC fans wanting the ACC Network

“The intense passion is there. That is evident. We see that. As we get towards launch, I think our fan bases will respond very negatively if they are not able to get this. I think they will show that, and I encourage them to show that short of burning down any houses. I don’t want them to do that. Fans’ voices need to be heard. We count on them to demand of their carrier to take the initiative to get the ACC Network. I think this is must-see television. It’s watching the Atlantic Coast Conference, in every sport, in every way possible from the outside in.”

Swofford on distribution of the ACC Network

“The question about distribution should come from ESPN. We are very confident that ESPN are the best in the world at distribution. It’s all part of the Disney family. When you combine ESPN sports with what Disney does in non-sports, that’s strong. I want people to understand that. That’s one of the reasons we feel so confident about who we are partnered with.”

Swofford on getting the ACC Network anywhere in the nation

“You will be able to get the ACC Network anywhere in the nation one way or another. Whether it’s Direct TV, whether it’s Hulu, who are already on board… People will be able to change carriers if their current carrier is not carrying the ACC Network. That is what I would say first. Contact your carrier and demand that you want it. It is a consumer sort of thing, and be passionate when you do it.”

Swofford on Charlotte being a home for the ACC

“We truly have found a home for our championship game. It took us a while. We learned some lessons along the way. We have found a home here. I’ve spent extensive time with the new ownership that the Panthers have. It’s already a terrific relationship. They are fully supportive and on board. In fact, spent some time with (Panthers president) Tom Glick last night. We feel extraordinarily good about Charlotte and the ACC Championship. I think when you talk about that, it’s Charlotte, the first Saturday in December, every year. That’s going to be for a long time to come. If the stadium is improved, there ends up being a dome stadium or something of that nature, that’s all the better. We would be a part of that, as well.”

Swofford on gambling

“It’s obviously a changing world for us in regard to that. (Panthers owner) David (Tepper), quite frankly, our president would like to see a carve-out for college athletics, so that college athletics could not be gambled on, as well as high school athletics. So that effort continues. We’ll see how that works out. Obviously with ESPN or anybody else we’re partnering with, we want space between gambling and our games, so we do have those discussions. We will have conversations ongoing about that. But the laws are changing. I would hope that at some point, at the federal level, there’s some consistency brought to how this is done state to state, if it indeed is going to happen in a particular state.”