ACC set for Pac-12-like collapse as 2 powerhouses create hindrance to expansion: Reports
The ACC could be headed down the same path as the Pac-12 if the latest college expansion reports are to go by.
While realignments have been more prominent than ever in college football, the Atlantic Coast Conference has sat on the sidelines and not added any teams.
Stanford and California have both expressed their interest in joining the ACC and leaving the Pac-12. But, according to a recent tweet by RedditCFB, the conference didn't get enough support to add them.
Two schools that voted no to that prospect were reportedly Florida State and Clemson, the ACC's two biggest members, which did surprise some people since the move hampered its expansion plans. It also follows what USC and UCLA did when they voted against adding more teams to the Pac-12 in 2021.
"The Pac-12 could have added P5 members in 2021, but their 2 biggest teams, USC and UCLA, voted not to. Those 2 teams then left the conference, which eventually collapsed. The ACC can add P5 members in 2023, but their 2 biggest teams, FSU and Clemson, voted not to," RedditCFB tweeted.
After the tweet, many fans were interested in the similarities between the two instances. USC and UCLA left the Pac-12 for the Big Ten a year after the vote, and many believe Florida State and Clemson could do the same.
There have been strong rumors of Clemson and FSU exiting the Atlantic, and if they do leave, college football fans can look back at those two moments as the beginning of the end of the ACC.
Does Florida State want to leave the ACC?
What makes the tweet even more interesting is that Florida State has made it clear they aren't happy with the ACC.
The ACC has a lengthy TV deal, and the conference isn't bringing in as many teams as other conferences. FSU could go out and join the Southeastern Conference (SEC) or Big Ten and make a lot more money.
With that, FSU school president Richard McCullough said the school can't see itself staying in the ACC with how the money is distributed.
"Our goal would be to continue to stay in the ACC, but staying in the ACC under the current situation is hard for us to figure out how we remain competitive unless there was a major change in the revenue distribution within the conference.
"That has not happened. Those discussions are ongoing at all times. ... I believe FSU will have to at some point consider very seriously leaving the ACC unless there was a radical change to the revenue distribution," McCullough said.
If FSU does leave the ACC, it would be a major blow to the conference and could be the start of more teams leaving. Perhaps, once that happens, Clemson will follow suit, which would likely end the ACC as a notable conference.