In preparation for Syracuse and Pittsburgh joining the conference, the ACC announced that it will expand conference schedules and introduce a new scheduling model for both football and basketball.

ACC commisioner John Swofford praised the universities in the conference, stating, “It’s a tremendous tribute to the leadership at our schools that we will be able to seamlessly add Pitt and Syracuse at the appropriate time when they become full playing members.”

Football conference play will expand from eight conference games to nine on Syracuse and Pittsburgh officially join the ACC.  Pittsburgh will join the Coastal Division and Syracuse will join Clemson in the Atlantic Division.  The new scheduling model will allow teams to play all six other members in their division, its primary crossover rival, and two rotating opponents from the other division every year. 

The list of crossover rivals goes as followed: Clemson-Georgia Tech, Duke-North Carolina, Virginia-Virginia Tech, Miami-Florida State, Syracuse-Boston College, Pittsburgh-Maryland, and NC State-Wake Forest.

Basketball conference play will expand from 16 games to 18 games starting next season.  The new scheduling model is based on a three-year cycle where teams play every other team at least once a season, with a rotating home-and-home series with four opponents, along with a home-and-home series with their cross division rival (listed above). 

The conference said that creating a more competitive balance was the driving factor behind the new scheduling models, but the new formatting will end some traditional basketball home-and-home rivalries.

Clemson skipper Jack Leggett

At least 43 games involving Atlantic Coast Conference baseball teams are scheduled to be carried nationally and/or regionally by ESPNU, ESPN2, ESPN3 and RSN (Regional Sports Network) during the 2012 season.

All 12 conference teams are represented on this year’s schedule. In addition, all 13 games of the ACC Championship will be televised live for the fifth straight year. The first four days of the tournament, set for May 23 through May 27 at Greensboro, N.C.’s NewBridge Bank Park, will be carried by RSN. The championship game, scheduled for noon on Sunday, May 27, will be telecast nationally by ESPN2.

Along with the slate of 43 games announced Monday as part of the ACC’s Olympic Sport coverage for the upcoming spring season, additional games will be carried by the conference’s institutional partners and the ACC Digital Network. The complete listing of those games will be released at a later date.

In addition to the six games announced last month as part of the ACC Monday package on ESPNU, the ACC national/regional schedule will include at least 24 head-to-head matchups between teams that participated in the 2011 NCAA Tournament. The schedule opens March 4, with Clemson playing host to two-time defending champion South Carolina in a high-profile nonconference rivalry game on ESPN3. Florida State’s home game vs. Florida will also be carried by ESPN3 on April 10.

Within the ACC, all three games of the Virginia-Florida State (March 17-19), NC State-North Carolina (March 24-26), Miami-Clemson (March 30-April 1), Georgia Tech-North Carolina (April 20-22) and Florida State-Clemson (May 12-14) will be carried via a combination of ESPNU, ESPN3 and RSN.

RSN, which reaches up 24 million households, includes Fox Sports South, Sun Sports, Comcast Sports Atlantic and NESN. All ACC games produced as part of the RSN package will also be available on ESPN3 in locations beyond the RSN territory.

Please see below for the complete listing of ACC Baseball games scheduled for national/regional broadcast during the 2012 season.

• Sunday, March 4 2:00 PM South Carolina at Clemson ESPN3
• Saturday, March 17 8:00 PM Virginia at Florida State ESPNU
• Sunday, March 18 2:00 PM Virginia at Florida State ESPN3
• Monday, March 19 7:00 PM Virginia at Florida State ESPNU
• Saturday, March 24 1:00 PM NC State at North Carolina RSN
• Sunday, March 25 1:00 PM NC State at North Carolina ESPN3
• Monday, March 26 7:00 PM NC State at North Carolina ESPNU
• Friday, March 30 6:30 PM Miami at Clemson ESPN3
• Saturday, March 31 1:00 PM Duke at Georgia Tech RSN
• Saturday, March 31 4:00 PM Miami at Clemson ESPNU
• Sunday, April 1 12:00 PM Miami at Clemson ESPN3
• Saturday, April 7 1:00 PM Boston College at Virginia Tech RSN
• Saturday, April 7 6:00 PM Florida State at Georgia Tech ESPN3
• Monday, April 9 7:00 PM Wake Forest at Virginia ESPNU
• Tuesday, April 10 6:00 PM Florida at Florida State ESPN3
• Saturday, April 14 12:00 PM NC State at Clemson RSN
• Friday, April 20 6:00 PM Miami at Florida State ESPN3
• Friday, April 20 6:00 PM Georgia Tech at North Carolina ESPN3
• Saturday, April 21 6:00 PM Miami at Florida State ESPN3
• Saturday, April 21 2:00 PM Georgia Tech at North Carolina ESPN3
• Sunday, April 22 12:00 PM Georgia Tech at North Carolina ESPNU
• Saturday, April 28 1:00 PM Virginia at Miami RSN
• Monday, April 30 7:00 PM Virginia at Miami ESPNU
• Saturday, May 5 1:00 PM Maryland at Florida State RSN
• Monday, May 7 7:00 PM Maryland at Florida State ESPNU
• Friday, May 11 8:00 PM Wake Forest at Miami ESPNU
• Saturday, May 12 1:00 PM Georgia Tech at Virginia RSN
• Saturday, May 12 6:30 PM Florida State at Clemson ESPN3
• Sunday, May 13 6:30 PM Florida State at Clemson ESPN3
• Monday, May 14 6:00 PM Florida State at Clemson ESPNU

Milton Jennings led the Tigers with 16 points

A strong start wasn’t enough to propel Clemson to an upset against 6th ranked Duke at Littlejohn Coliseum Sunday night. The Blue Devils fought back from an early nine point deficit and pulled out a hard fought 73-66 win over the Tigers. It keeps the Dookies unbeaten in ACC play (3-0) while the Tigers drop to 1-2.

Clemson forced 17 Duke turnovers, won the rebounding battle (40-39) and even shot more free throws than the Blue Devils and it still wasn’t enough. Duke stretched its lead to double digits in the second half before the Tigers mounted a late rally to pull within four with less than a minute to play. The Blue Devils put the game away late with a big offensive rebound and by knocking down their free throws.

After the game, Tigers coach Brad Brownell wasn’t taking any moral victories.

“We’re here to win games. I understand that Duke’s a terrific team. They are obviously well coached and all of that, but we had opportunities to win the game.”

(AUDIO AFTER THE JUMP)

You could probably point to free throws as the difference in the game. Duke made 15 of 18 from the line, while the Tigers made just 10 of 20. Considering some of the Clemson misses came on the front end of 1 and 1’s, it is easy to make the case the Tigers gave the game away on the charity stripe.

Give Duke plenty of credit though. They didn’t wilt under the presser of a packed house of boisterous Clemson fans. Andre Dawkins came off the bench to score 24 points and led all scorers. Dawkins hit five three pointers (one more than the entire Clemson team). He also made five of six from the free throw line.

“It’s pick your poison,” Brownell said. “They have so many good players, it’s hard to keep them all down.”

Milton Jennings led Clemson with 16 points. Devin Booker and Andre Young each had 12 points and Tanner Smith added 11.

Clemson is 9-8 and will play at Miami on Wednesday. Duke is at home against Wake Forest on Thursday night.

AUDIO: Brad Brownell post game

AUDIO: Mike Krzyzewski post game

BOX SCORE

 AUDIO:  Clemson Head Coach Brad Brownell

AUDIO: Defensive Coordinator Kevin Steele

AUDIO: Kevin Steele interviewing Brandon Thompson

AUDIO: Defensive Back Rashard Hall

AUDIO: Defensive Back Coty Sensabaugh

HOLLYWOOD, FL – This time last year Clemson was in Charlotte, NC practicing in 30 degree weather with two inches of snow on the ground as they prepared for the Meineke Car Care Bowl. A year later, the Tigers are in sunny Miami, FL with temperatures hovering around 80 degrees as they prep for the Discover Orange Bowl against No. 23 West Virginia next Wednesday at Sun Life Stadium.

“What a difference a year can make,” Clemson offensive tackle Landon Walkersaid.

What a difference indeed. Clemson, ranked No. 14 in the latest Associated Press poll, opened the season with eight straight victories and then won its first ACC Championship in 20 years by dismantling Virginia Tech 38-10 in the ACC Championship game earlier this month. With the win, the Tigers advanced to the Discover Orange Bowl for their first appearance in the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) and their first in the Orange Bowl since 1982.

“It’s a totally different experience,” Walker said. “It’s awesome to be here and realize the accomplishments we have achieved at Clemson this year. We are enjoying the benefits of it right now.”

This week has been even more special for Walker, whose father Gary was a part of that 1982 Orange Bowl team that wrapped up the program’s only National Championship with a 22-15 victory over Nebraska.

“It does not have the national championship implications on it that they were playing for back then, but at the same time, it’s a big deal,” Walker said. “A BCS game is a big deal and to be able to represent Clemson and do the same thing my dad got to do 30 years ago is special.

“Honestly, I’m sure there are not a lot of people that could imagine getting to do the same thing as their dad, so it is very honorable to be able to do the same thing he did at Clemson, and be able to go out like that. I’m sure we (the 2011 team) will be talked about around Clemson for a long time, and hopefully we can win the game and go out on a high note like that.”

Through the years, Walker has heard many stories from his father’s Orange Bowl experience, some he could share and some he could not, but the biggest thing that stuck out to him in all of those stories was how focused that team was and how they went down to that game to prove to everyone they were the best team in the country.

“They had such a good team, it was easy for them to be focused on what they were trying to do,” he said. “We have a lot of young guys that have never experienced a bowl game, much less Miami and the Orange Bowl here. For us, it might be a little bit harder to keep guys focused, but as captains you have to lead this week.

“Even though it is the last week of the season, and it’s the last week this team will be together, it is probably the most difficult week. We have to really take advantage of our time together.”

That’s where Walker’s experience at the Orange Bowl differs from his father’s. His father was freshman guard on the offensive line and played the role of a reserve in 1982. Walker is a four-year starter and the Orange Bowl will be his 49th start, which is already a school record. His 3,065 career-snaps are second in school history and he is 32 shy from breaking Kyle Young’srecord for snaps in a career.

With all that experience, Walker is looked up to as one of the leaders on the 2011 team, which is why he addressed the team about the importance of this game to him and the rest of the senior class before the team departed from Clemson on Dec. 22.

“It is special to me because of my dad, and winning this game means a lot to me,” he said. “Being in Miami and enjoying Miami is fun and all, but the game is going to be an emotional one for me as I’m sure it will be for the rest of the seniors, and we want to go out with a win.”

 AUDIO: Head Coach Dabo Swinney

AUDIO: Linebacker Corrico Hawkins

AUDIO: Defensive Back Coty Sensabaugh

AUDIO: Tight End Brandon Ford

WESTON, FL – Clemson Head Coach Dabo Swinneysaid he wanted to come to Miami, FL a couple of days early so his team could get focused on the task at hand – winning the 2012 Discover Orange Bowl.

Swinney’s so called ”mini-camp” has come together pretty good so far. The Tigers arrived in the Miami area on Dec. 27, two days earlier than originally planned by the Orange Bowl Committee, who planned for both Clemson and West Virginia to arrive on Dec. 29. The 23th-ranked Mountaineers will arrive in Miami on Thursday.

“It made more sense to come on down here than to bring everybody back to Clemson,” Swinney said. “I think it’s going to work out good for us.”

Despite the Tigers early arrival, they were still welcomed in grand style when they got to Miami. Obie (the Orange Bowl Mascot) greeted the team as it got off the plane as did the entire Orange Bowl Committee and its staffers. It was quite the royal treatment. It was what the Orange Bowl likes to call – an Orange Carpet Event.

“It was very exciting,” defensive end Kourtnei Brown said. “The first thing that caught my eye was the orange carpet. That’s when you really know you’ve achieved something in life, when you get to walk on the carpet.

“It felt really good to see the people that were out here. It was very creative with the bus. It’s really neat.”

The Clemson team buses are wrapped in photos of the team from during the season. “It was great; the weather is nice, the wind was blowing a little bit, seeing Obie over here and the Orange Bowl Committee. This is great and we just appreciate everybody being here. I’m just very excited,” quarterback Tajh Boyd said.

The 14th-ranked Tigers, who will take on West Virginia a week from today in the Discover Orange Bowl, practiced for two hours both Tuesday and Wednesday and will do the same on Thursday morning – meaning Clemson will have put in three days of work at the bowl site before the Mountaineers even land Thursday in Miami.

“We’re coming to win, that’s our objective,” Swinney said. “We’ve got a good plan in place and we’ve put a lot of thought into it.”

As for practice, coming down to Miami a few days earlier has allowed the players to get back in their normal routine, especially considering they were coming off the Holiday break, which started on Dec. 22.

“We’ve got to keep everybody focused on this game,” Boyd said. “It’s going to be a fun trip and we’re excited about it, but again it is a business trip for us.” Clemson (10-3) will have some fun, though, as a reward for winning the ACC Championship and qualifying for the Orange Bowl. Besides having their own down time in which they will be able to take advantage of staying at a beach front resort, the Tigers will also get to participate in other bowl sanctioned events which are geared to entertain the players in between practices and lifting.

“I’m definitely looking forward to it and I’m excited about being down here and playing this game,” Boyd said.

Other Notes: Clemson wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, who suffered a mild concussion from a traffic accident Tuesday in Clemson, which caused him to miss the charter plane to Fort Lauderdale, made it to the Miami area Wednesday and will be with the team at Thursday’s practice. The status of his health, and if he will be able to practice, will be evaluated at that time.

 AUDIO: Head Coach Dabo Swinney

AUDIO: Wide Receiver DeAndre Hopkins

AUDIO: Defensive Lineman Andre Branch

AUDIO:  Defensive Lineman Rennie Moore

AUDIO:  Offensive Lineman Landon Walker

Clemson Head Coach Dabo Swinney: AUDIO

On Tuesday afternoon, the Clemson football team hit the practice fields for the first time since winning the 2011 ACC Championship, as they now begin preparing to face West Virginia in the Discover Orange Bowl on Wednesday, January 4.

CLEMSON, SC – The sun continues to shine down on the Clemson football team. The Tigers opened practice for the Discover Orange Bowl Tuesday to a sunny and warm day without a cloud in the sky. It was their first practice since winning the ACC Championship game on Dec. 3

Maybe it was a sign of things to come for the Tigers as they will practice for seven days in warm and sunny Florida starting on Dec. 27th.

“I can’t remember many bowl practices with a day like this,” Clemson Head Coach Dabo Swinneysaid. “Usually bowl practices are not like this. You have bad memories in your mind about the weather for bowl practice. It is usually freezing or it is nasty. I mean what a beautiful day to get back to work.

“It was good to see the guys. They have a great spirit to them. They have been off for a little over a week and they needed the break. That’s been good for them. It’s good to get back to work.”

Swinney said Tuesday was a day to get back to the fundamentals a little bit on both sides of the ball. The coaches also introduced West Virginia to the team and what they do. The coaches plan to trickle in the game plan throughout the week.

“You can work too much on an opponent so you want to keep it fresh,” Swinney said. “You want to get on and off the field.”

The Tigers are having to jockey practice around finals this week, which is a little unusual compared to past years. Usually, exams are over by this week and the coaches can plan normal practices, but this year exams are a week later due to school starting back a week later in the fall.

Clemson will have another scaled down practice on Wednesday, and by Thursday things will be pretty much back to normal as most of the players will be done with finals. The team will just have meetings on Friday and then they will go heavy on Saturday.

The Tigers will practice through Dec. 21 in Clemson, and then will go home for the Holiday after meetings on December 22 and will reconvene in Miami, FL for the Discover Orange Bowl on Dec. 27th.

“We will have a little minicamp situation for a couple of days, if you will, before the bowl gets started” he said. “I think we have a good plan and a good schedule. I really liked how they came out to work today, and I think they were really excited about getting back to work.”

Despite the short practice Tuesday, Swinney said they got a lot out of their limited time.

“It was a good start. We ran them pretty well after practice,” he said. “We need to push them and stretch them out a little. I thought they pushed through that very well, especially the guys that have been playing and that we are counting on.”

Swinney also announced that running back Mike Bellamyis still suspended indefinitely for a violation of team rules and will not participate in any bowl practices and will not join the team in Miami for the Orange Bowl.

“The expectation is that he will have an opportunity to come back with us in January,” Swinney said. “If he does the right things, he will have a chance to go through spring (practice) and if he doesn’t, he will not.”

AUDIO: Dabo Swinney

Tigers win their first ACC title since 1991

Clemson’s two decade ACC title drought  ended Saturday night in Charlotte. The Tigers pounded Virginia Tech 38-10 at Bank of America Stadium  to lock up the school’s first ACC title since 1991. The win clinches a spot in the Orange Bowl next month in Miami, their first appearance in that bowl game since the 1981 national championship game.

“We are a championship program and tonight we added to a great tradition,” Dabo Swinney said after the game. 

AUDIO: Dabo Swinney, Tajh Boyd and Andre Branch postgame presser

Clemson didn’t look like a team coming off three losses in its past four games. The Tigers looked like the confident group that started the season 8-0. Tajh Boyd completed 20 of 29 passes for 240 yards and three touchdowns. He ran for another 34 yards and a score and earned MVP honors.

Here are some other facts and figures following Clemson’s win:

• Clemson wins it first ACC Championship since 1991 and its 14th overall. Clemson has more ACC titles than any other school.
• • With the win the Tigers will go to the Discover Orange Bowl. It will be Clemson’s first appearance in the Orange Bowl since 1981 when Clemson won the National Championship. It will be Clemson’s first appearance in a BCS level bowl since 1981.
• • This is Clemson’s first 10 win season since 1990 when Clemson was 10-2.
• • Earlier this week former Clemson great Chester McGlockton passed away in Stanford, CA. The 42-year-old was a starter on both the 1990 and 1991 teams. He wore number-91.
• • This win equals the highest ranked team Clemson has beaten in its history. In 2003, Clemson defeated a third ranked Florida State team. Virginia Tech was third ranked by the USA Today poll entering tonight’s game.
• • When Clemson beat a third ranked Florida State team in 2003, Clemson was coming off a 28-point loss at Wake Forest. Florida State was coming off a 37-0 win at Notre Dame. In this game, Clemson was coming off a 21-point loss at South Carolina and Virginia Tech was coming off a 38-0 win at Virginia.
• • In 2005, Florida State had lost three straight entering the ACC Championship game with Virginia Tech. Virginia Tech was coming off a 38-point win at Virginia. Florida State won that game in 2005. Virginia Tech was coming off a 38-point win at Virginia and Clemson had lost two games entering the game.
• • Clemson is now 13-0 under Dabo Swinney in orange jerseys and white pants.
• • This victory is the fourth of the year against a top 25 team for the Tigers, a Clemson single season record. Clemson also defeated ranked opponents from Virginia Tech, Florida State and Auburn earlier this year.
• • This is the first time Clemson has beaten two top 10 teams in the same season since 1981 when Clemson was the only team in the nation to beat three top 10 teams.
• • This is the first time Clemson has beaten the same team twice in a season.

1st QUARTER RECAP

2ndQUARTER RECAP

3rd QUARTER RECAP

4th QUARTER RECAP

BOX SCORE