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The ACC is reportedly looking to expand as it hopes to keep pace in the world of conference realignment. The league, which has seen issues of its own this offseason, was considering pouncing on a pair of PAC-12 programs.
The conference took the potential additions to a vote this week, but only 11 of the 15 schools said yes. Insiders have now revealed which four universities said no.
This year in college football has been a wild one off the field. In the last month, we’ve seen six teams leave the PAC-12 with plans to join new homes in 2024.
After watching USC and UCLA depart in the summer of 2022, Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, Oregon, Utah, and Washington have made the decision to follow suit.
The Ducks and Huskies will join the Bruins and Trojans in the B1G while the remaining four will head to the Big XII. The movement will leave the PAC-12 with just four remaining teams come season’s end.
Cal, Stanford, Oregon State, and Washington State make up that quartet, and each is navigating through uncharted waters as they look to the future. The PAC-12 has remained insistent on its plan to rebuild, going as far as to hire Andrew Luck’s dad as an advisor in decision making.
With that being said, multiple conferences have reached out to the forgotten PAC teams as they eye potential expansion.
The AAC is reported to have interest in adding the four as a package deal. The ACC, meanwhile, was looking at only two members.
Those schools were Stanford and Cal, which boast the academic resumes the league would be interested in.
While the ACC has seen unhappiness within from top members Clemson and Florida State, its current media deal might just be its saving grace. A grant of rights agreement likely keeps conference members put through 2036.
The league has many notable brands both in the football and basketball. Throw in part-time member Notre Dame, who was pushing to add Cal and Stanford, and you have 15 strong ACC athletic programs.
This week, the presidents met to discuss the possible additions of the West Coast schools. They needed 12 votes to move forward with the expansion. They’d, however, only get 11.
Four ACC teams voted against adding Stanford and Cal, putting negotiations at a standstill.
The four ACC schools that opposed the additions of Stanford and Cal at the Wed. night presidents’ meeting were Florida State, Clemson, North Carolina and North Carolina State, source confirms to @TheAthletic. Would need to flip one of the four to get to 12 yes votes out of 15.
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) August 11, 2023
Nicole Auerbach of The Athletic says that Clemson, FSU, UNC, and NC State represented the nays.
It might make sense for the Tigers and Seminoles, who could be more focused on finding ways out of the league as opposed to adding to it.
UNC and NC State would likely garner interest from both the SEC and Big Ten given their footprint in the Tar Heel State.
There are some pros to bringing Cal and Stanford to the ACC. Most notably, adding two historic brands in the San Francisco/Oakland area.
Of course, there are negatives, too, which include extra travel and splitting revenue distribution.
While the additions were denied on the first vote, it only takes one member to change its mind. Should that happen, the PAC-12 will be all but dead.