CFB Insider claims FSU leaving ACC may happen 'soon'; reveals Stanford, Cal and SMU's conference realignment plans amid the Pac-12 collapse
There have been claims that Florida State University leaving the ACC could be happening soon and that would shift the powers in college football. Florida State has been a staple of the Atlantic Coast Conference and their leaving would almost signify a move as epic as what happened to the Pac-12 over the previous 18 months.
College Football Insider Greg Swaim tweeted that FSU leaving ACC is on the table and could be more than the only change in the Atlantic Coast Conference:
We just watched the end of the #Pac12 by self-inflicted wounds and I believe we're seeing the same thing from the #ACC. We told you 48 hours ago this addition of #Stanford, #CalBears and #SMU made zero sense...and it still doesn't. #FSU and others getting out soon...stay tuned!!
When comparing the Pac-12 and the ACC, Swaim is saying we are seeing a similar thing. The Pac-12 saw eight of the 12 programs switch conferences beginning in 2024 as only Oregon State, Washington State, California and Stanford are still part of the conference.
If FSU leaving ACC causes the same response as USC and UCLA leaving the Pac-12, things could get interesting.
Would FSU leaving ACC cause major changes to college football realignment?
FSU leaving ACC would likely be a huge change in the college football landscape as there are a lot of interesting programs to choose from.
This report does not give us any indication of which team would stay but it was previously reported that eight teams were looking for more money than the current ACC contract is offering.
The conference is currently in a super lengthy deal for its media rights as the deal does not expire until 2036. That has made some teams, including Florida State, uncomfortable as a shorter deal would likely net them more money throughout the same span.
If Florida State and Clemson are looking to leave, it would likely have the same reaction as USC and UCLA leaving the Pac-12.
There are some very intriguing programs littered throughout the Atlantic Coast Conference and seeing them potentially looking for new homes could be interesting. The Big Ten and Big 12 took advantage of the Pac-12's demise by taking eight programs.
However, the Southeastern Conference has only added Oklahoma and Texas from the Big 12 before this conference realignment happened.
It will be interesting to see if the teams become free to sign elsewhere and if there would be an appetite for the conferences to continue expanding past 20 teams.
Florida State and Clemson to the SEC feels like the most likely move and the rest of the chips will fall as the ACC gets ransacked similar to what the Pac-12 looks like today.