ACC teams to Big Ten theories gets big upvote from CFB insider as AAU expansion reportedly looks for new member schools
The world of conference realignment continues, and the future of the ACC teams will be under the microscope. The Atlantic Coast Conference is in a lawsuit with the Clemson Tigers and the Florida State Seminoles about the price to exit the conference.
There have been some theories that have been floated around on social media regarding programs that are not AAU-accredited. For those who are unaware, there are 71 universities that are part of the Association of American Universities.
College football insider Greg Swaim discussed the ACC schools and how their options may be limited if they are not AAU-accredited.
It would be something incredibly interesting, as it would make the conference realignment situation a bit more intriguing.
Which ACC teams make the most sense for the Big Ten in conference realignment?
When looking at the schools from the Atlantic Coast Conference that have AAU accreditation, these are the schools that fit the mold:
- Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
- Virginia Cavaliers
- Duke Blue Devils
- Stanford Cardinal
- Miami Hurricanes
- Pittsburgh Panthers
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish
- North Carolina Tar Heels
What it means is that these are the schools that would fit the mold for the accreditation status for the Big Ten Conference. While these eight schools are all potential options for the Big Ten to take from the Atlantic Coast Conference, there are some that are more plausible than the rest.
One of the schools that the Big Ten Conference should attack is the North Carolina Tar Heels, as Big Ten Commissioner Brett Yormark has been interested in improving in multiple sports, and, obviously, the Tar Heels are known to be one of the top men's basketball programs in the entire nation.
Another program that would make a lot of sense would be the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
While it would be an incredible grab, it's likely that the Big Ten Conference would not be able to get the football program, as they would likely remain independent. However, there are some valuable assets to getting the Fighting Irish associated with the conference in one way or the other.
There are some other programs that would be a good fit, but the aforementioned two are definitely at the top of the list.