Technical Tidbits 5/16: Hot Topics for the ACC Spring Meetings

The annual ACC Spring Meetings kicked off yesterday as athletic directors, coaches, and other staff from schools around the ACC descended on Amelia Island, Florida. In between rounds of golf, John Swofford and company have plenty to discuss regarding the future of the ACC. First and foremost on many fans’ minds is the fate of the ACC Network in the wake of ESPN’s layoffs late last month. Despite cutting around 100 employees, ESPN has been adamant that the network is still on schedule for a 2019 launch. Other topics on the agenda include the recent wave of recruiting reforms passed last month by the NCAA and the American Football Coaches Association’s recommended changes to redshirt rules, which would allow players to appear in up to 4 games in their redshirt season.

Last week the NCAA released Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores for Georgia Tech’s 17 varsity sports. Across the board, the Yellow Jackets scored well, with nine teams improving or remaining perfect and just four teams declining. Four sports - golf, men’s swimming and diving, volleyball, and women’s cross country - finished with perfect scores, earning Public Recognition Awards. The award was the 12th straight for the golf team, which has never had less than a perfect 1,000. On the flip side, three teams - baseball, women’s tennis, and women’s basketball - finished below the national average, significantly so for women’s basketball. That said, even they are not in danger of a postseason ban or other penalties so, all in all, it was another good academic year for the Yellow Jacket student athletes.

Finally, Beesball starts a four game homestand to close out the regular season tonight against Georgia Southern. After only picking up one win in Durham this weekend, the Yellow Jackets sit a game over 0.500 (25-24) for the season. Georgia Southern comes in at 35-17 and in 4th place in the Sun Belt. The Eagles have been playing good ball lately, winning 7 of their last 10, but history is on the Jackets’ side. Tech has won 6 straight games against Southern, including a game earlier this season in Statesboro. Kel Johnson went deep three times to power the Jackets to a 10-3 win over the Eagles. First pitch for tonight’s game will come at 6:00 pm ET when junior Ben Schniederjans is expected to take the mound for Tech.

Go Jackets!