The dirty little secret to the ACC basketball schedule here in early 2021: “postponement” means “canceled.”
It’s semantics, sure, but, come on.
“There’s maybe a window before the ACC Tournament,” UVA coach Tony Bennett said, in response to a question on the chance that his team’s home game with Virginia Tech, lost on Jan. 2 due to a COVID-19 pause, would be rescheduled.
Problem is: both teams play two games a week the rest of the way, with just one date, Wednesday, March 3, that could present itself.
Though that would have UVA playing after a March 1 home date with Miami, ahead of a March 6 road game at Louisville.
Tech only has one game that week, March 6 at home with N.C. State.
With the ACC Tournament looming beginning on March 9.
And the more important tournament, the NCAA, a week later.
The secret is out. Not everybody is playing 20 games.
The only reason we’re being led to believe otherwise: hope.
The ACC and ESPN need as many games as possible to be played to satisfy advertisers as much as can be made possible.
That’s why the ACC made clear Monday that it intends to play the ACC Tournament as scheduled, despite the reality.
The reality: its member teams with NCAA title aspirations would rather focus on, get this, making sure they can compete in the NCAA Tournament.
The ACC and its member schools make money from the NCAA Tournament. But they also make money from regular-season and tournament games.
First things first.
Gotta keep up the appearances, and that’s why we’re still pretending they’re “postponements.”
This one is going to get me another email from the folks at ESPN.
Story by Chris Graham
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