College Feature
SMU Programs Ready for New Challenges in ACC
by Rhiannon Potkey, 2 July 2024
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Southern Methodist University officially joined the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) on Monday, ending an 11-year run in the American Athletic Conference (AAC).
The Dallas-based university is one of three new additions to the ACC, along with former Pac-12 rivals Stanford and California.
As part of the deal to join the ACC, SMU won’t receive any media rights revenue distributions for nine years. SMU received $9 million annually from the American Athletic Conference in 2022-23.
But SMU donors are trying to help fill the void. The SMU athletic department announced last week it had reached a new fundraising record of $159 million during the fiscal year 2023-24.
SMU men’s head coach Grant Chen and women’s head coach Jeff Nevolo discussed what the move means for their programs and how it impacts recruiting.
How will things change for your program with the move to the ACC?
GRANT CHEN: SMU is ready. We have been preparing for this moment for the past two decades. It really has come full circle seeing SMU at the pinnacle of collegiate sports in the 80’s to NCAA sanctions and rising again.
JEFF NEVOLO: We don’t foresee major changes to the way we run our day to day. We’ve always prided ourselves on being amongst the best programs and universities in the country, and we’re excited to display that in the new league.
How does this move change your recruiting if at all?
CHEN: The move is very exciting from a recruiting perspective. We have the opportunity to compete in the strongest and deepest tennis conferences in the country. To have potentially 25-35% of the Top 25 is a tremendous opportunity and challenge. Prospective student-athletes love the opportunity to compete against the best, and ACC is certainly shown to be one of the strongest and deepest.
NEVOLO: We have always been focused on bringing in the right people for our program and that won’t change as we move forward. Regardless of the conference, we look for girls who are committed to excellence, excited to learn, and are ready to be great teammates.
What are the challenges of moving to the ACC?
CHEN: While there is some overlap, there will be new challenges just like anything when you start: new venues, new cities, new travel demands.
NEVOLO: The most exciting challenge of moving to the ACC is the opportunity to compete against multiple top 10 teams over consecutive weekends. The schedule will be one tough match after another, and is ultimately an opportunity to build your team’s resume for an at-large NCAA berth.
What has the reaction been from your current players?
CHEN: The current team is thrilled. We will definitely have one of the strongest schedules since I’ve been the head coach–hosting the ITA National Team Indoor Championships in February and ACC conference matches in March and April.
NEVOLO: Our team is very excited for the new conference. Entering into the ACC will allow us to continue building our program into one of the best in the nation.
What are the realistic goals for the first year in the conference?
CHEN: We look to be competitive from Day 1. We know it will take some time to adjust as we will be traveling to new programs. We have been so grateful and fortunate the past few years in the AAC having captured two conference tournament titles and look to build on this move entering a new era with the ACC.
NEVOLO: Coming off a second-round appearance at NCAAs, we feel we’re ready to compete from the start. We’ve always had the mentality that we’re going to be an at-large level team that makes noise late in the season, and we’re excited for our goals to grow as we move forward in this league.
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About Rhiannon Potkey
Rhiannon Potkey is a veteran sportswriter with more than two
decades of experience in journalism. Potkey has covered many
sports at many levels and has a passion for finding great stories.
Potkey has covered the U.S. Open, junior sectional and national
events, college conference championships and Davis Cup matches.
Potkey is currently Content Strategist for Tennis Recruiting. You
can reach Rhiannon by email at
[email protected].
