Conference Realignment: Notre Dame "Pushing hard" for ACC to add Cal and Stanford

Could the ACC expand and add more schools to the conference?

Hardly a day goes by now in college athletics where conference realignment is not the top story and that did not change today. 

After reports this week of the ACC looking at the possible additions of Cal, Stanford, and possibly SMU, Larry Williams of Tigersillustrated.com says that Notre Dame, who is not a full member of the ACC in football, is pushing hard for the conference to add both Cal and Stanford. 

Am told Notre Dame, as a full voting member of the ACC, is pushing hard for the additions of Stanford and Cal. That "full voting member" part is ... something. Writing on this shortly.

— Larry Williams (@LarryWilliamsTI) August 9, 2023

Notre Dame, an ACC member in all sports but football, is "pushing hard" for ACC to add Stanford & Cal, @LarryWilliamsTI reports

— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) August 9, 2023

This is an interesting development for the ACC, which has reportedly been looking over ways to possibly expand. Notre Dame as a full voting member is noteworthy as well. Could this mean that Notre Dame could be interested in joining the conference full-time in football? I doubt it, but the fact that the Fighting Irish are "pushing hard" for this to happen is an interesting development today. 

Could the ACC conference expand? / Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

Here is what ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips had to say at ACC Media Days when asked if Notre Dame becoming a full member in football was a possibility: 

"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 have a hard time thinking that the additions of Cal and Stanford would be what swings Notre Dame to the ACC, but anything is possible in this day and age of conference realignment. 

As of today, no ACC coaches have commented on the talks of potentially adding both schools specifically, but Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key did give his thoughts on realignment yesterday after practice:

"To be honest, Mike told me at lunch, seriously. He said you might get a question about conference realignment and I said, what is going on? I had no clue. I was as shocked as anybody when he told me at lunch today. I don't know, ask me on Saturday, I might have time to think about it by then. I have not thought about it one bit. I am worried about Georgia Tech, Georgia Tech, and the ACC and that is really all I care about right now."

Yahoo Sports Ross Dellenger reported yesterday that SMU is potentially a target for the conference if it decides to expand:

The expansion conversation in the ACC goes beyond Stanford & Cal. A third school, SMU, is in consideration, sources tell @YahooSports.

Administrators are expected to review financial models of all scenarios: adding all three or only the Pac-12 two.https://t.co/MuCOc0wbmt

— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) August 8, 2023

While adding SMU alone would not move the conference as far west as Cal or Stanford, SMU would get the conference a program in the state of Texas and a valuable TV market.

More developments are sure to be coming in the conference realignment craze that we find ourselves in so be sure to stay tuned.   

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