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The NFL Playoffs are now underway with Saturday afternoon action kicking off the Wildcard Weekend. The ACC will have a number of former players competing for a Super Bowl title this postseason.
The league attempted to highlight that fact with a recent post on social media. It backfired miserably due to the players it chose to market the feat.
In all, more than 150 former players from current ACC schools are playing in the NFL Playoffs. First-year member Stanford leads the way with 17.
The ACC highlighted that fact on X prior to postseason action. There were no lies told in the announcement. Their choice of players posted in the marketing graphic was an interesting one, though!
SHOWTIME 🏆
Over 150 former players from current ACC schools will take the field for the #NFLPlayoffs.
📰 full list: https://t.co/EDzYyJCPNC pic.twitter.com/bXQRfvea3o
— ACC Football (@ACCFootball) January 11, 2025
The league used three players to boast of its playoff representation. Each were quarterbacks. Former Heisman trophy winner Lamar Jackson was the first. He was the one that made the most sense.
Russell Wilson, who’s most known for his time at Wisconsin, was also shown. Prior to playing for the Badgers, he did spend three seasons at NC State. The conference gets a pass for his inclusion, even if he didn’t finish his career in the ACC.
The third and final player was Jared Goff, though. Goff played his college ball at Cal, who just wrapped up its first season as a league member. Previously, the Bears were in the PAC 12.
Goff never played against an ACC foe across three NCAA seasons. He never took a snap as an ACC player. While he’s been one of the NFL’s best passers in 2024, the league’s decision to include him in this particular graphic seemed an ugly display of stolen valor.
Yes, Goff *technically* played for a team that is *currently* a member of the ACC. Still, he has zero connection to the league itself.
It’s not the first time the ACC’s promoted an athlete with no ties to the conference. During the Summer Olympics, it did the same with former Stanford swimmer Katie Ledecky. Again, Ledecky never competed in the ACC. That did little to stop the league from acting as if she did!
Conference realignment has significantly altered the world of college athletics. We now have teams on opposite coasts competing across the country on a weekly basis. The 2024 season was the first for many of those programs as members of their new leagues. The ACC is now taking credit for everything that came before as it relates to Cal, Stanford, and SMU.