GREENSBORO, N.C. — Mushroom-shaped potatoes, glazed salmon and breaded chicken held the spotlight at dinner at the Atlantic Coast Conference Kickoff on Sunday night.

That is, until ACC commissioner John Swofford walked up to the podium and addressed the largest crowd in ACC Kickoff history.

Swofford touched on the Orange Bowl, Monday’s golf tournament and new ACC members Syracuse and Pittsburgh. One of his main points, though, was the 13-year national championship drought looming over the conference.

ACC coaches addressed the glaring disparity in national championships between the ACC and Southeastern Conference.

“It has to happen on the field,” Virginia coach Mike London said. “We all know that. That’s the elephant in the room that we have to recognize.”

The SEC has produced the last seven national champions. No ACC school has even played in the BCS Championship Game during that stretch. The last time an ACC school took home the title was in 1999 when Florida State beat Virginia Tech 46-29, not including then-Big East member Miami’s 2001 championship.

Sixty-three SEC players were selected in the 2013 NFL Draft, more than twice the number from the ACC. A reporter asked London why the disparity in draft picks and championships between the two conferences is so vast.

“It’s a great question,” London said. “Recruiting-wise we do well. Coaching-wise I don’t think there’s any monopoly on great coaches on that particular side. It has to be done on the field.”

London said that the SEC “can own the bragging rights for that” until the ACC generates a champion. The Cavaliers face Oregon, of the Pacific-12, in early September, but they don’t match up against any SEC teams.

London said playing more SEC schools would help ACC teams learn how to get to the next level.

One way the ACC has taken steps toward improvement is via the Orange Bowl. The ACC and the Orange Bowl reached a deal in November that places the ACC champion against an SEC, Big 10 team or Notre Dame, starting Jan. 1, 2015. Swofford said the deal is a perfect way for the ACC to move to the elite echelon of conferences.

This year the teams with the best shot at dethroning the SEC are Clemson and Florida State. The Tigers received 95 championship votes in the ACC Football Kickoff media poll while the Seminoles garnered 15.

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney addressed the hype swirling around his Tigers and the Seminoles. He said the two schools give the ACC the best chance at a national championship.

“This conference needs Clemson and Florida State to be strong and hopefully we can continue to put great teams out there,” Swinney said, “and sooner or later we’ll produce one of those dominant teams that we all want.”

Published on July 22, 2013 at 4:28 pm

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