Coral Gables, Fla. ? Bizarre, strange and goofy.

Those were the words University of Miami President Donna Shalala used Monday to describe the Hurricanes’ move from the Big East to the ACC. Some probably would have used back-stabbing, deceitful and insidious as well. Shalala even paraphrased a former colleague who once said, “The meanest, dirtiest form of politics is the politics of higher education because the stakes are so low.”

But cut through the lawsuit, the politics and the name-calling involved in this endless move and you’ll find the University of Miami made the right decision for the right reasons. And, yes, for money.

“I don’t want to pretend money is not a factor here, particularly in the long run,” Shalala said. “It would be disingenuous.”

Of course, this is tied to money. And why wouldn’t it be? For anyone to claim Miami owed the Big East because Shalala said she was committed to the conference nearly two years ago isn’t living in the real world. Alliances change, partnerships dissolve and money drives the bus.

Shalala was trying to find a conference whose business plan made sense. She found it in the ACC, where revenue, specifically the revenue generated by the football program, isn’t tied to performance as it is in the Big East’s house-of-cards’ model.

But Miami’s jump from the Big East to the ACC wasn’t based solely on its football program; although, let’s not kid ourselves, the chance of playing a championship game sure fills the coffers more than a scrum at Temple. The move also was made in part for its 16 other varsity programs, 10 of which are women’s teams.

According to women’s track and cross-country coach Amy Deem, the ACC is “more well-rounded.” And because of the geographics of the conference, women’s teams (as well as men’s teams) will be able to take additional trips to more competitive schools. That can’t hurt in recruiting.

“Every single one of our women’s sports, the ACC is very competitive,” Shalala said.

Added Dr. Phil Frost, chairman of the board of trustees: “We thought the ACC was in the best interest, both short and long term, for the students, not the least of whom were the women athletes.”

As far as the other sports, the ACC will be nothing short of a super conference in baseball with the addition of the ‘Canes. And the ACC is still thinking of adding teams. The model for this conference, as well as all others, is being designed on the fly. Everything is changing and anything is possible.

Finally, Shalala wanted to make it clear that the ACC wasn’t just a better fit athletically but also academically.

“What the ACC is interested in is an academic conference like the Big 10,” she said. “The Big 10 is not just an athletic conference, but a conference of schools that share academics, in some cases applying for grants together, in other cases designing programs together, sharing faculty and exchanging faculty and administrators. So the ACC is thinking of something broader because of the homogeneity of the institutions.”

So let’s get this straight: The football will be just as good, the basketball will better and the baseball will be off the charts. And, according to Frost and Shalala, it’s a better fit academically. So what’s the problem? According to a pending lawsuit filed in Connecticut, Shalala misled members of the Big East some 18 months ago when she voiced her commitment to the conference.

When asked about those comments Monday afternoon, Shalala replied, “They were accurate at the time. I obviously didn’t say forever. Things change and opportunities come forward.”

And when it comes to the mean and dirty politics of higher education, you always take advantage of such opportunities.