The ACC Welcomes"The Wood" - rawkus76's Dynasty

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The ACC Welcomes"The Wood"

Posted on June 21, 2010 at 03:43 PM.

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THE ACC WELCOMES "THE WOOD!"

By Warren James
CFSPN.com
Archive

Who would have thought that the folding of the Eastern Michigan football program would cause this much chaos around the NCAA. The newest addition to the FBS and the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is newly founded Lindenwood Academy. Linden what? ACC? How you ask? Since it was established, it left a lot of questions unanswered and now, we wait no more. The "WOOD� is how President Philip H. Knight refers to it. For those of you who been asleep for the past 40 years, Knight is one of the founders of a little company called NIKE. He went on to explain, "Here, coaches don't have to worry about their players running late or missing practices all together because of class and labs. Not here. Classes run from 8:00am -1:30pm Monday through Friday. The "WOOD" also offers 4 Undergraduate Degrees in Exercise Science, Athletic Training, Sports Business Management and Sociology. "Football is the only sport here, so all the money and time is being dedicated directly to the program." When Knight says "MONEY" he means it. 350 million to be exact. The biggest budget for all Athletic Programs in the country. It doubles the University of Texas budget. So just imagine how many different uniforms combinations and facilities they will have. "If it is needed...we will have it." Philip said. So I asked how does a school with only 180 or so students, and unknown academic standards, get in to a major conference like the ACC? Does it take a generous donation? He avoided the question. I think we can speculate with the money from Nike, anything possible. Just do it...right?

For the feminists out there saying that Lindenwood Academy is discriminating toward women, arguing the school going against Title IX, I do have to tell you that Lindenwood Academy is considered a privately funded, all male school. So Title IX doesn't apply here. I asked if he thought that would hurt recruiting, being an all male school. Knight responded "Its not like the players are not allowed to associate with them [girls]. They just don't attend school here. Look, we are in Orlando, Florida. Beaches, bikinis, sounds like a Mecca of women to me. You can't forget about Disney too." He chuckled. "Who in there right mind wouldn't come here? You receive a degree playing big time college football and we will produce professionally ready, young men. Whether that's in pursuing a career in the NFL or the field they chose to go into." I went on to ask him how competitive do you think you will be? "Next year? As a program? Both? I see lots of championships to come hopefully sooner then later. But I have important meeting to attend so i have to go". As my time ran out the CEO of Nike, who had more "important things" to be doing, then answering my questions. He did say before leaving the room that they will have a coach before the week is over. We do know that coach Ron English has interviewed with Knight. Also, Lindenwood Academy will be releasing the schools facts and logos sometime next week.