In a significant shake-up of the collegiate athletic landscape, the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) announced on Friday that it is expanding its membership to include Southern Methodist University (SMU), Stanford University, and the University of California, Berkeley (Cal). This expansion increases the ACC's total membership to 18 schools, effective from the academic year 2024-25. SMU will officially become part of the ACC on July 1, 2024, with Stanford and Cal joining a month later on August 2, 2024. All three schools will have full voting privileges in the ACC’s board of directors. The announcement marks a pivotal moment in college sports, bringing notable changes to the traditional geographic and competitive alignments. Stanford and Cal's departure from the Pac-12 Conference is particularly impactful, leaving the 108-year-old conference with just two remaining schools, Oregon State and Washington State. The shake-up further illustrates the evolving landscape of collegiate athletics and represents the latest step in what has been a series of shifts among conferences over the years. While Stanford and Cal join the ACC from the West Coast, the inclusion of Dallas-based SMU marks another significant geographic expansion for the ACC, which has roots in North Carolina's Tobacco Road. The move effectively stretches the ACC’s footprint westward, adding new dimensions of competition and viewership. Notre Dame, located in Indiana, was previously the westernmost member of the ACC, while Louisville held that title among football members. Interestingly, a straw poll conducted over three weeks ago indicated some initial resistance to the expansion from ACC schools like Clemson, Florida State, North Carolina, and N.C. State. However, the stance of N.C. State changed, allowing for an official 12-3 vote that approved the new additions. Financial incentives appear to be a driving force behind these seismic shifts. The ACC and its current member schools are expected to benefit from a new pool of revenue. SMU will forgo broadcast media revenue for its first nine years in the conference, while Stanford and Cal will earn partial shares for the first several years. This financial arrangement aims to close the revenue gap between ACC schools and their counterparts in other major conferences like the SEC and Big Ten. The addition of these schools to the ACC is part of a broader trend in the world of college sports, as conferences expand to strengthen their competitive and financial standings. Even if major schools like Florida State or Clemson were to leave the ACC, the conference now has the "heft," in numbers and prestige, to maintain its standing. For the schools involved, the move also aligns with their broader institutional objectives. SMU, for example, sees joining the ACC as the culmination of a long-term quest to become a part of a Power Five conference. Overall, the expansion reflects the dynamism and complexity of contemporary college sports, offering new opportunities and challenges for the ACC and its new members as they navigate an ever-changing landscape. 

March Madness 2022 is officially here! Defending 2021 National Champions, Baylor, was able to secure a No. 1 seed after the Kentucky Wildcats got upset yesterday in the SEC Tournament by Tennessee. The other No.1 seeds were what everyone expected with Gonzaga (26-3), Arizona (31-3), and Kansas (28-6) wrapping up the next three spots at the top. The play-in tournament begins on Tuesday with eight bubble teams trying to secure their official invite for their respective regions. Texas A&M CC (23-11) versus Texas Southern (18-12) should be the most exciting of the four games because on paper both teams are evenly matched and we had the honor of watching both teams play this season. Be sure to fill out your bracket and let us know how your team is doing after the first two rounds.

No one expected the Tennessee Volunteers to make it past Kentucky yesterday and today outside of the Tennessee locker room, no one believed their magical run in the SEC Tournament would end in a victory. Well good thing the results are based on the court play because the Vols are the 2022 SEC Tournament Champions, a first for the program in 43 long years. The Vols knocked off Texas A&M 56-50 to secure their title and an automatic bid to the NCAA big dance which starts this week. It will be interesting to see how far this Vols team will go in the NCAA Tournament.

The Norfolk State Spartans (23-6) are headed back to the NCAA Tournament after knocking off No. 7 seed Coppin State (9-23) 72-57 in the MEAC Tournament. Joe Bryant, the MEAC Player of the Year, had a stellar performance finishing the night with 23 points. Coppin State was this year's Cinderella team in the MEAC Tournament upsetting No. 2 seed Howard University in its sprint to the championship game. The current bracket projections have NSU as a No. 16 seed in the NCAA Tournament which means the Spartans will have to take on one of the No. 1 seeds whether it be Kansas, Kentucky, Arizona, or possibly Baylor.

The Texas A&M CC-Islanders and the Southeast Louisiana Lions met in college basketball action for the conference championship from the Leonard E. Merrell Center on Saturday night. The Texas A&M-CC Islanders Simeon Fryer battled double teams most of the night from the Lions, which spurred a solid all around performance from Jalen Jackson who finished the game with 13 points and 6 rebounds to lead the Islanders to victory over the Southeast Louisiana Lions. After an amazing conference championship run Texas A&M-CC Islanders will return to the national spotlight after 15 years. The Islanders now await to see who their opponent will be for play in round of the NCAA Tournament. Could Texas A&M-CC be the next cinderella story?

Virginia Tech ‘s (23-12) magical ACC Tournament ends with an upset victory over Duke University (28-6) 82-67 to win its first ACC Tournament Championship in school history. The Hokies post season hopes were dependent on if they won the tournament or played well enough to convince the committee they worthy of being selected. The Hokies took the high road and played spoiler to Coach K’s last ACC Tournament before the legend retires following the conclusion of the NCAA Tournament.

UT Chattanooga Men's Basketball team started their march Madness campaign with a huge win on Monday night in the SOCON Tournament Championship. Facing off against Furman, the Mocs were down by 2 points with only seconds remaining in the game. But that's when senior guard, David Jean-Baptiste, hit a 3-point buzzer-beater from half court to win the game 64-63. Jean-Baptiste was heavily guarded by three Furman players when he took the game-winning shot. The win now gives the Mocs an automatic bid in the NCAA Tournament so they will learn who they play on Selection Sunday.

March Madness is here! The NCAA released the 2022 Men's Basketball Tournament Bracket. Where is your team slated to play?