BREAKING: ACC will expand and add Cal, Stanford and SMU

The ACC is now at 17 members following the addition of Cal, Stanford, and SMU

Jackson Caudell | Sep 1, 2023

BREAKING: ACC will expand and add Cal, Stanford and SMU /

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Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

The momentum had been building toward the ACC expanding and adding Cal, Stanford, and SMU and the news is now official. The conference is going to be getting bigger and will now have 17 members in football (for now) according to multiple reports.

Earlier this week, ESPN's Pete Thamel gave an update on the ACC expansion talks of adding Cal, Stanford, and SMU and Thamel reported that there is "continued momentum" towards the ACC adding the three schools. Thamel went on to say that ACC officials are working on gathering the presidents/chancellors on a call, which is expected to take place at some point this week.

After Thamel's report, Yahoo Sports Ross Dellenger reported that the ACC presidents had scheduled a call Monday night to discuss and possibly vote on adding Cal, Stanford, and SMU and then that meeting got delayed because of the tragedy at North Carolina, but then it was rescheduled for Friday morning where the three schools got the required 12 votes they needed for expansion.

ACC will add Stanford, Cal & SMU in 2024, sources told @ActionNetworkHQ. The league’s presidents got the required 12 of 15 votes to expand the ACC’s football membership to 17 schools. SMU will not receive any media rights revenue for 1st 7 years, while Stanford & Cal will receive…
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) September 1, 2023

The Action Network's Brett McMurphy also reported that SMU will not receive any media rights revenue for 1st 7 years, while Stanford and Cal will receive reduced shares. He also reported that one reason ACC added Stanford, Cal, and SMU is ESPN’s media rights deal with ACC allows ESPN to renegotiate if the league drops below 15 members, with potential future departures of FSU, Clemson, and UNC (who all voted against expansion, the ACC wanted to get P5 schools now opposed to G5 schools later to maintain required membership number.

Our @ESPN story on the ACC voting this morning to invite Cal, Stanford and SMU, per ESPN sources. Commissioner Jim Phillips lands the plane on a move for the ACC that pushes it to 18 programs and drives hundreds of millions in revenue to the league. https://t.co/QYRHmtjGef
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) September 1, 2023

Now, the ACC has three new members in what is going to be an interesting mix of schools. Academically, Cal and Stanford fit in with the ACC, but there are going to be a lot of complicated factors in this new conference, travel perhaps being the chief among them.

While Cal and Stanford were the first two schools mentioned in ACC expansion talks, SMU threw themselves in and some noteworthy backers.

According to a report that came out from Ross Dellenger at Yahoo Sports earlier this month, former President of the United States George W. Bush, and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice are "on a campaign to encourage ACC leaders to rethink their position on acquiring both Stanford and SMU, as well as Cal". Dellenger also reported that both Rice and Bush had communicated with ACC officials in pursuit of a membership invitation for the schools in which they are vested.

It looks like the lobbying campaign worked.

SMU could be the most interesting addition out of these three. The Mustangs have made it known that they want to be in a Power conference and the willingness to accept those revenue conditions is further proof of that. They have a talented team that is set to take the field this season under Rhett Lashlee.

Earlier this week, Georgia Tech head coach was asked about the ACC expanding and adding these schools and here is what he had to say:

"I am not going to say that I don't know anything about it because Mike does a good job of updating me because I have been solely focused on the prep for this team and the prep for the Louisville game on Friday.

Look, it is an exciting time for the conference if they are looking to do those things, I have faith in the commissioner, I have faith in the conference, I have been a part of this conference since 1996 and that is why I love this conference. It is such a great mix of academics and athletics and it is an exciting brand of football in the league and if they make the decision to move forward with that, then we would all be behind it and excited for the future."

Something that will now be discussed: Will the ACC continue to add members (or member) to get to an even number?

Here is what AllYellowJackets writer Matthew Kistner wrote when discussing Georgia Tech's options in the midst of conference realignment and who the ACC could add through expansion:

"With the primary members threatening to leave on the basis of poor revenue deals, the conference could strive for adding new teams to bolster better commercial interest and thus generate more revenue. Teams such as Notre Dame, West Virginia, Tulane, South Florida, East Carolina, Liberty, Ohio, Marshall, Appalachian State, Troy, or Memphis could make good additions in a geographical sense.

The western move or poaching West Virginia from the Big 12 would garner the most revenue in my opinion as it would activate a new audience in the West for ACC football that could bring companies calling for television rights. West Virginia also brings its passionate fan base and rivalry with Pittsburgh that would spark interest of all fans. Unfortunately, all of these situations are a stretch for the ACC and more likely than not will not happen. Facing reality, the ACC is in a difficult bind and I am not too optimistic on the future of the conference."

The ACC has expanded and added Cal, Stanford, and SMU / Scott Taetsch-USA TODAY Sports

Cal, Stanford, and SMU are now in the fold, but what about those other schools? What about Notre Dame?

ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips was asked about the prospect of adding Notre Dame Football to the ACC at this year's ACC media days in July and here is what he had to say:

"We've had a lot of conversations, let me put it bluntly, with Notre Dame, and they've been very clear. They value their independence, and I think they feel strongly that that will continue well into the future. If they ever have the desire of joining the conference, they know that we would welcome them with open arms, but I think -- I can't speak for Jack right now and Pete in the future or Father John, but I think it's been a healthy relationship both ways for the ACC and for Notre Dame. Their sports, other than football, I think have thrived in the ACC. I think they really enjoy the academic prowess that the ACC brings as well, but they've been pretty clear about their desire to stay independent. So I don't see that changing any time soon."

I still don't think that Notre Dame is a likely addition, but you never know with conference realignment these days.

This move caps what has been a crazy couple of months in college football. Colorado got things started off when they announced that they were heading back to the Big 12 and then Oregon and Washington made their seismic move to the Big Ten. Utah, Arizona, and Arizona State would then join Colorado in going to the Big 12.

That left Stanford, Cal, Oregon State, and Washington without a conference for the future, but the ACC has now stepped in and picked up two of those four.

For better or for worse, college athletics are changing and this latest round of realignment has been a whirlwind to follow. It now has the Atlantic Coast Conference adding schools from the other side of the country and one in the middle.

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