Report: ACC will invite V.T. to join

In a move that could sway Virginia's pivotal expansion vote, the Atlantic Coast Conference presidents decided Wednesday to invite Virginia Tech to join the ACC, the Associated Press reported Wednesday evening.

Approval of expansion from Virginia could potentially circumvent the "no" votes of Duke and North Carolina, as only seven votes are needed to pass legislation in the nine-member ACC.

The ACC has not yet officially offered the Hokies a place in the conference; however, it was clear Wednesday evening that steps were being taken to make such an invitation.

ACC spokesperson Brian Morrison told the Associated Press Wednesday night that "informal contact" had occurred between Virginia Tech president Charles Steger and the CEO from one of the ACC schools "to understand better what political options might be available."

Neither Duke President Nan Keohane nor Athletic Director Joe Alleva could be reached for comment.

The decision to extend an invitation to Virginia Tech was made during a three-hour teleconference Wednesday-the third such meeting of the ACC presidents in two weeks. During the course of the meeting it was evident that the original expansion plan, which only included Miami, Boston College and Syracuse, was not going to receive the seven votes necessary for expansion, according to the Associated Press.

As a result, Virginia President John Casteen proposed that his intrastate rival Virginia Tech be invited. Casteen's suggestion comes on the heels of significant pressure from Virginia Governor Mark Warner, who has vociferously opposed an ACC expansion without Virginia Tech included in the plan.

That Virginia Tech has been invited to join the ACC would appear to be encouraging news for proponents of the expansion, as Virginia's only qualm with the original plan was that Virginia Tech was not one of the invitees.