ACC Notebook: Maryland's president explains exit fee vote

Wake Forest NG Nikita Whitlock has been ruled out of Saturday's game against Florida State. (US Presswire)

While the ACC presidents voted unanimously to add Notre Dame, two schools voted against raising the conference's exit fee. The presidents voted 10-2 to increase the exit fee to three times the operating budget, which would currently translate to about $50 million.

Maryland president Wallace Loh confirmed to Alex Prewitt of the Washington Post that he was one of the two presidents that voted against the measure. Florida State was the other. Loh said he was opposed to a punitive fee, or “exit penalty”, which he feared would deter other schools from wanted to enter the ACC.

Vaughn Telemaque is injured and won't start at safety for Miami on Saturday. That gives A.J. Highsmith the chance to start. His first career start will come 25 years after his father, Alfonso Highsmith, led the Hurricanes to the 1987 Fiesta Bowl. A.J. wears uniform number 30, like his father. The Miami Herald's Manny Navarro caught up with father and son.

RB Giovani Bernard was expected to be a game-time decision for North Carolina's game at Wake Forest last week, but A.J. Blue told the Durham Herald-Sun's Harold Gutmann he found out on Friday night that he would start. Blue ran for 106 yards and a touchdown, and he'll be ready to go if he gets the call at Louisville on Saturday.

NC State senior safety Earl Wolff has started 28 games in a row, but his streak may be in jeopardy Saturday against South Alabama. Wolff was injured in the second quarter of last week's game at Connecticut. The Wolfpack don't release detailed injury reports for non-conference games, but Wolff was limited in practice this week.

Wake Forest nose guard Nikita Whitlock missed his fourth day of practice and has officially been ruled out of Saturday's game at Florida State. Whitlock sprained his ankle in the North Carolina game last week, and reinjured it when he attempted to come back after retaping it.

For more up-to-the-minute news and analysis from ACC bloggers Shawn Krest and Sean Bielawski, follow @CBSSportsACC.