Three Schools Back Under ‘Serious Consideration’ for ACC in Conference Realignment Talks, per Report

Stanford, Cal and SMU may have a new conference to call home sooner rather than later.

The Atlantic Coast Conference is once again considering adding Cal, Stanford and SMU to the league, sources tell Sports Illustrated‘s Pat Forde. The news was first reported by ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

Per Thamel’s report, a small group of ACC presidents met Wednesday morning to discuss financial ramifications that would come with the additions. The financial models currently under consideration would include significant financial concessions made by Stanford, Cal and SMU to join the conference. 

SMU has reportedly showed a willingness to forego taking broadcast media revenue for its first seven seasons in the ACC. Stanford and Cal, meanwhile, would both receive the same reduced media revenue share from the league’s television contract with ESPN and its affiliates.

Thamel also noted that more meetings are expected this week, and that just one school out of UNC, NC State, Clemson and FSU needs to become a “yes” vote to get the other three new schools in, assuming the other 11 member schools are still in agreement with adding the three schools under the proposed financial models. No official vote will be taken unless there is a guaranteed “yes” vote from at least 12 members, Forde notes.

Most importantly, there is expected to be a pool of money created from the additions of the three schools with the proposed financial model, and conference presidents are reportedly discussing how the new money would be split. Florida State president Robert McCullough called for “a radical change to the revenue distribution” at a board of trustees meeting earlier this month, when school leaders pondered leaving the ACC. The Seminoles had until Aug. 15 to announce its decision through the 2024 season, and that deadline came and went without the school formalizing its departure.

It’s likely that a formal decision on the additions to the conference could be decided within a week, per Thamel.