Report: Clemson among schools against Stanford and Cal joining ACC

The ACC's efforts to expand continue to sputter.

While major FBS conferences continue to expand, and others implode, the ACC finds itself in a precarious spot. Instead of working together to save their collective group, relationships between schools in the ACC now resemble the moments before a nasty divorce.

The conference knows that Florida State wants out and they have to assume that others, including Clemson, do as well, and it's Commissioner Jim Phillips' job to keep the ACC as profitable as possible, even in their current grant of rights deal. With that in mind, reports have circulated this week that the conference is interested in adding Cal and Stanford, bringing the total number of teams in the conference to 16, not including semi-member Notre Dame. But now other reports are circulating that Clemson is among the universities against that expansion.

The Stanford Axe is awarded to the winner of "the Big Game" between Cal and Stanford every year. (Cal Athletics)

Per an article published by ESPN, Clemson, along with Florida State, North Carolina, and N.C. State, are opposed to the additions of Cal and Stanford. Though no reason was stated as to why they would be opposed, the four schools put the ACC shy of the required twelve "yes" votes they would need to add the West Coast teams. 

The cons of adding the two schools seem obvious. Coast-to-coast travel for all sports at each school would be incredibly costly and could lead to the elimination of certain teams at each university. While Stanford and Cal were recognizable names in the past, they've won a combined 48 football games over the past 5 seasons. (4.8 per year). Any additional revenue you were hoping to bring in by having those schools make postseason runs in football or basketball is optimistic at best. And that's where the main point comes in; while you're already lagging behind other conferences in revenue, do you really want to add two more slices to the pie? Florida State has already brought up giving teams that perform better in football and basketball a bigger piece.

As for the benefits of bringing the schools in, it keeps your numbers near or equal to the other major conferences. The SEC and Big 12 will have 16, while the Big Ten will see its number balloon to 18 in 2024. You'd also add the Southern California market, something you could present to future television partners, but you're adding the third and fourth-best teams from that market at best. The Big Ten already snagged the Rams and the Lakers with USC and UCLA, adding Cal and Stanford would be the Clippers and Chargers. 

In honesty, the real reason, and likely why four schools are rejecting the motion, is this is an act of desperation. The ACC just witnessed the Pac-12 implode and they don't want to be next. All you need to do is look to the Pac-12's history to see the ACC's possible future. USC and UCLA voted to block the conference's expansion and then bailed a year later. ACC schools have more roadblocks to leave, but when has a piece of paper stopped anything in college football before?

More Clemson Football News:

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• Conference Realignment: What Oregon and Washington's jump means for Clemson
• Garrett Riley named one of the "most interesting new coordinators" by ESPN

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