ACC expansion failing to add Stanford, Cal, and SMU might open gateways for Big 12 to pounce on remaining Pac-12 schools: Reports
The FBS powerhouse is on the verge of ACC expansion in 2024, but nothing has happened as of yet. Even if the ACC is unable to get the agreement in place, there is another conference waiting in the wings to swoop in and take all four Pac-12 teams.
College football insider Greg Swaim posted on X (formerly Twitter) about the possibility of the Big 12 jumping in and taking Stanford, California, Oregon State, and Washington State.
"There has been some talk that if the #ACC can't get a vote passed to add #Stanford, #CalBears and #SMU early next week, that the #Big12 may take all four remaining #Pac12 schools. I'm not ready to say that's accurate, but something is definitely going on."
This would be something interesting, as the Atlantic Coast Conference may need to add teams either way. The ACC expansion will be something to keep an eye on, as the future of SMU, Stanford, and California may not be as concrete as everyone is expecting.
Is ACC expansion the best situation for the conference?
The ACC expansion is going to be the biggest thing for the Atlantic Coast Conference's future.
The conference has done well at securing a media rights deal, as they are under contract until 2036, so they have a fixed contract here to fall back on. However, teams like the Clemson Tigers and Florida State Seminoles are not happy with the money coming in.
However, if they are able to add the Stanford Cardinal, California Golden Bears, and SMU Mustangs, the ACC would get an estimated $55 million.
The reason is that the additional teams have agreed to receive little to no conference money for an unknown number of years. This would be a huge step in gaining some extra revenue for the incumbent teams.
Even if they do not add the three teams that have been discussed, the conference is still going to need expansion. This will be something that should happen to keep the teams happy and get them some extra money in the process.
The Stanford Cardinal, California Golden Bears, and SMU Mustangs would be excellent additions to the Olympic sports instead of college football and basketball.
The Atlantic Coast Conference needs to figure things out about expansion, as this is the best chance to get some additional revenue. Even if these three teams do not join, the ACC still needs to figure out some expansion plans.