Raleigh, N.C. ? How soon the Atlantic Coast Conference expands again — if at all — will be shaped by a nine-month process that begins today, when the league seeks NCAA approval to stage a lucrative football championship game.

The ACC wants conference title games for leagues with at least 10 teams, which would allow the 11-member ACC to stage its first championship in 2004 — perhaps in Charlotte. Currently, leagues must have 12 teams to stage a title game.

“It may be premature, but Charlotte would be very interested in hosting that game,” said Ken Haines, president and CEO of Raycom Sports, which runs the Continental Tire Bowl. The 2002 bowl is estimated to have generated between $20 million and $40 million for the Charlotte area.

“The 2002 Continental Tire Bowl shows a major college football game can be very successful in Charlotte,” Haines said. “And the location is ideal.”

The first step comes today, when ACC assistant commissioner Shane Lyons said the league would submit its proposal. The NCAA will forward that to its Division One membership by late September.

The NCAA’s 49-member management council will decide whether to send the proposal in April to the NCAA’s Division One Board of Directors. A majority of that board must approve.

“Clearly I would be supportive of it,” Georgia Tech president Wayne Clough said July 1 at the Greensboro news conference announcing the ACC’s 10th and 11th members. Miami and Virginia Tech will begin league play in 2004.

The obviousness of Clough’s position drew giggles from ACC officials at the news conference, but this is no laughing matter. Since 1992, the SEC and Big 12 have staged 18 conference championship games generating more than $100 million.

Should the ACC proposal work, the league could net as much as $10 million from a title game in 2004. That would allow the ACC to stay at 11 for the foreseeable future, until — or unless — prized football independent Notre Dame decides to join a conference.

Should the proposal fail, the ACC likely would pursue a 12th member sooner than later — diluting the pool of potential targets.

“By lowering that number to 10, we believe it will create some stability (nationally) in conference realignment,” Lyons said. “If the (NCAA) membership does not approve it, obviously conferences wanting to pursue a championship game in football will look at” adding new members.

Credit former Fayetteville State athletics director J.D. Marshall for influencing the rule.

“I was just doing what I thought was best for Division II football,” Marshall said.

It was 1987, and another Division II athletic director, Dick Yoder of West Chester (Pa.) University, was seeking NCAA approval for a title game for his 14-team Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference. Yoder authored legislation to the NCAA setting the minimum at 14.

“Of course, we were the only league in the country at the time with 14 teams,” said Yoder, now the mayor of West Chester. “J.D. Marshall began encouraging me: ‘Don’t limit yourself. Why say 14 teams? How about 12?’

“So I made the change.”

And NCAA membership approved.

SEC commissioner Roy Kramer used the 12-team loophole for a title game in 1992. The Big 12 followed in 1996.

Now the ACC must sway the Division One Board of Directors, whose 18 members include six from Bowl Championship Series leagues.

“There are 18 votes that have to be swung,” Clough said. “I would think that given our discussions (with other conferences) … a lot of people will be interested in revising this rule.”

The key could be a BCS consensus — no easy feat. Would the Big East back a proposal benefiting the league that lured its top two football programs? Would the SEC and Big 12, knowing the proposal only would benefit their BCS competitors? New SEC commissioner Mike Slive would be in a delicate situation; he lobbied for a similar proposal as commissioner of Conference USA.

“If the 60-something schools in those (BCS) leagues want it to happen, it will happen,” said Western Athletic Conference commissioner Karl Benson.

If not, brace for round two of ACC expansion.