Watch: Carla Williams Comments on the ACC, Big Ten, and Pac-12 Alliance

UVA Athletic Director says conference alliance “gives me hope” for the future of college athletics

Following Tuesday’s announcement that the ACC, Big Ten, and Pac-12 would be forming an alliance to collaborate on issues regarding the future of college athletics, University of Virginia Athletics Director Carla Williams released a recorded video statement commenting on the move and the impact it will have on UVA.

“I think the alliance is really good for college athletics,” Williams said in the video statement. “I’m excited about it. I’m looking forward to working with the Big Ten and the Pac-12. I think it’s great for college athletics because there is so much instability right now, so many unknowns, so many unanswered questions.”

Williams specifically noted that there is a significant amount of overlap between UVA and the member institutions of the other conferences in terms of principles surrounding the role of college athletics in higher education.

“The alliance is not only good for college athletics, but it’s also really good for UVA,” Williams said. “It’s great for UVA because a lot of the goals are the same, the mission is the same.”

Carla Williams is one of four athletic directors from the ACC working with athletic directors from the Big Ten and the Pac-12 to oversee the scheduling alliance for athletic events. Williams will be joined by Clemson’s Dan Radakovich, North Carolina’s Bubba Cunningham, and Syracuse’s John Wildhack.

“We’re excited about the Big Ten. We’re excited about the Pac-12 and working with those institutions, those athletic departments and being able to create some really great matchups across all of our sports,” said Williams.

There is currently no contractual agreement between the three conferences and no solid timeline for when the scheduling partnership will take effect.