Who will be in attendance during the ACC Football Kickoff? Clemson HC Dabo Swinney, UNC QB Drake Maye, FSU QB Jordan Travis & more
College football media days kick off this week, and with these sessions, a flurry of action and topics will be discussed. The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) has not felt the impact to the degree of other conferences, with college football expansion shifting the landscape daily.
The elephant in the room is the sense that the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and Big Ten are eyeing several teams in the ACC for additional expansion beyond 2024. Clemson, Miami, North Carolina and Florida State are options to depart the ACC.
All hope is not lost for ACC fans, as the conference has an air-tight contract, and it will be difficult, albeit not impossible, for teams to exit. At least for now, the ACC remains on sturdy ground. Let's look closer at what we expect during the ACC Football Kickoff.
When is the ACC Football Kickoff?
For the first time, the ACC has expanded its annual ACC Football Kickoff to a three-day event from July 25-27. The event takes place at The Westin, located in Charlotte, North Carolina. The event will be covered live by the ACC Network. Jim Phillips, ACC commissioner said:
"ACC Football Kickoff is one of our league's signature events, and we look forward to this year's event and its expanded coverage."
Phillips will kick off the event on July 25, where he will likely field several questions regarding college football expansion.
Who will be in attendance during the ACC Football Kickoff?
Aside from ACC commissioner Jim Phillips, there have been no announcements surrounding the attendees. Looking back at the 2022 ACC Football Kickoff, we can draw a few conclusions.
Like other college football conferences, the team's head coach is front and center, so expect the same in 2023. Each ACC team brought three student-athletes to represent the university.
Here is what the ACC Football Kickoff agenda could look like:
July 25
ACC commissioner Jim Phillips
Georgia Tech coach Brent Key
Louisville coach Jeff Brohm
Miami coach Mario Cristobal
Syracuse coach Dino Babers
July 26
Duke Head coach Mike Elko
Florida State coach Mike Norvell
Pittsburgh coach Pat Narduzzi
Virginia Tech coach Brent Pry
Virginia Head coach Tony Elliott
Florida State QB Jordan Travis
It would be surprising if the Seminoles didn't bring the dark horse Heisman candidate, who also attended last year's event.
July 27
Boston College coach Jeff Hafley
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney
North Carolina coach Mack Brown
NC State coach Dave Doeren
Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson
North Carolina QB Drake Maye
The Tar Heels may bring in the upperclassmen for this event, but Drake Maye was one of the best players in the country last season. He has earned the right to attend and could be out the door after the 2023 season and off to the 2024 NFL draft.
What questions will the media ask at the ACC Football Kickoff?
College football expansion has to be at the top of the list. With the shakeup and controversy that has occurred in all of the conferences aside from the ACC, expect the coaches and ACC commissioner to take the high road and avoid the topic as much as possible.
The expansion of the College Football Playoff will likely also be a heavily discussed matter. These media days are only the beginning as teams will soon begin to jockey for position in the college football hierarchy.