FERNANDINA BEACH, FLA. - The depth of ACC football has improved, particularly after coach Jim Grobe built Wake Forest into a conference championship contender. But the ACC hasn't played in the BCS championship game since the 2000 season, when Florida State lost to Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl.

ACC teams are 0-8 in BCS games over the past eight seasons. Meanwhile, the rival SEC has won two straight national titles with Florida and Louisiana State. Clemson coach Tommy Bowden, who recruits the SEC area heavily, said those titles benefit the SEC in recruiting.

"The balance [of the ACC] is important, but that's the objective, to play in that [championship] game," Bowden said. "That's why you get into coaching. You want somebody in your conference to get close to it. At least have somebody in your conference play for it. That gives your conference credibility."

The NFL draft is what gives the ACC credibility these days. Commissioner John Swofford spoke to the ACC's coaches Monday and told them that the ACC's 25 first-round picks the past three years are more than any other conference had over the same period.

"If you're looking for the validation of football and the quality of the conference, that's a pretty good statement," North Carolina coach Butch Davis said. "The draft pretty much tells you where the talent is."

FOOTBALL COACHES TALKING: ACC football coaches left their meeting rooms Monday with instructions to talk about a nine-game conference schedule with their athletics directors.

Officials will discuss the idea today as the ACC spring meetings continue. Currently, ACC teams play eight conference games -- five against division opponents and three against teams from the opposite division.

Wake Forest athletic director Ron Wellman favors a nine-game conference schedule because fans prefer games against league opponents to those against many nonconference foes.

But a nine-game schedule would require five ACC road games in some years, and that will be a difficult hurdle to overcome. Officials at many ACC schools count on having at least seven home dates in a 12-game season to pay their bills.

EYE ON BTN: ACC officials and their television partners continue to watch the Big Ten Network's emergence with interest.

Launched in August, BTN has had difficulty wooing cable providers, though the Sports Business Journal has reported that Comcast could add BTN soon.

"Until there is some evidence that cable companies and satellite providers can make them successful, I think conferences will be very cautious about starting new channels," said Charlotte's Ken Haines, president and CEO of Raycom Sports.

EXEC TO PROMOTE ACC TITLE GAMES: Former Charlotte Bobcats executive Steve Swetoha is working out of Raycom's offices to promote sales for the ACC football championship games that are coming to Charlotte.

The title games are scheduled for Bank of America Stadium in 2010 and 2011. Swetoha was senior vice president of business operations for the Bobcats.