Now that college re-alignment season is officially upon us, it's time for one of the annual rites: the ritual downplaying of rumors by the athletic directors of the respective schools.
Thursday, it was Georgia Tech Athletic Director Dan Rakadovich's turn, as he tried to turn squelch rumors about the school's interest in joining the Big 12:
Radakovich said there was a "large level of unanimity among athletic directors and faculty athletic reps to stay the course as the current Atlantic Coast Conference. There's a lot of things out there, but sometimes the grass isn't always greener on the other side." He also said that there was "absolutely no basis" to a report that Tech was in talks with the Big 12.
Radakovich also said that ACC was trying to investigate a deal similar to the one the SEC and Big 12 made, which would put their conference champions into a post-season matchup that could serve as a de-facto semifinal in a four-team playoff.
He mentioned the Big Ten and the SEC as potential partners, although both conference champions are already committed to playing the Pac 10 and the Big 12 respectively. That, more than anything else, is why the rumors of Georgia Tech's interest in the Big 12 are unlikely to die down, regardless of what school official say or do not say.
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