Report: Potential additions of Cal, Stanford, and SMU are again "Under serious consideration" by the ACC

The latest reporting around conference realignment and the ACC

Jackson Caudell | Aug 23, 2023

Report: Potential additions of Cal, Stanford, and SMU are again "Under serious consideration" by the ACC /

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Could conference realignment be heating up once again?

The idea of Cal, Stanford, and SMU joining the ACC has been reported on for the last couple of weeks, and while it initially appeared that the idea was dead when four schools (Florida State, Clemson, NC State, and North Carolina) opposed expansion, ESPN's Pete Thamel is reporting today that the potential additions of Cal, Stanford, and SMU to the ACC are "again under serious consideration by the ACC". Thamel also reported that a small group of ACC presidents met Wednesday morning to discuss financial models that would come with the additions.

Sources: The potential additions of Cal, Stanford and SMU to the ACC are again under serious consideration by the ACC. A small group of ACC presidents met Wednesday morning to discuss financial models that would come with the additions.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) August 23, 2023

Thamel went on to say that those financial models are expected to include significant financial concessions from the school that will be added. Additionally, Thamel says that more meetings are expected this week and that a realistic timeline for a decision is about one week, and that there is expected to be a pool of money created from these additions and the ACC presidents are discussing how the money would be split. The mechanics are being worked out and there is a possibility of including a performance pool for success initiatives.

The report from Thamel also says that SMU is going to have to make concessions and those would include a willingness to take on no broadcast media revenue for the first seven years they are in the league. Stanford and Cal would both receive the same share, which will both be reduced but different in form than SMU's concessions.

The reports about the concessions having to be made from all three schools have been going around for the last week. A recent report from Ralph Russo at the Associated Press suggested that Stanford is trying hard to receive an invite from the ACC and might be willing to do so at a reduced revenue-sharing cost:

"Leaders from Stanford, California, Oregon State and Washington State spoke Thursday, and Stanford told its colleagues it had informed the ACC that it would be open to joining the conference at greatly reduced or even no media rights payout for several years, a person familiar with the discussions told The Associated Press."

"Whether getting Stanford — and Northern California rival Cal — at a cut rate will be enough to convince the necessary 12 of 15 ACC schools to vote to expand remains unknown."

Will the ACC expand and add Cal, Stanford, and SMU? / Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

Notre Dame is one of the 15 votes that decide on ACC expansion and athletic director Jack Swarbrick has been pushing hard for the additions of Cal and Stanford:

"You can't have two of the great academic institutions in the world not have a place to play. We're working on (a solution). There is still consideration of the ACC as a home for those schools."

Swarbrick also made broader comments on the state of college athletics and what is happening right now:

"A complete disaster” what’s happened in college athletics. “Everybody in the industry has to take responsibility here I'm not excluding myself from that. I think the decision-making lost its way in terms on the focus of the student athlete & what's primarily best for them.”

Last night, 247Sports Brandon Marcello reported that the ACC still does not have the votes to add any schools.

The ACC still does not have the votes to add Cal and Stanford, sources told @247Sports Tuesday afternoon. There was a regular meeting of the presidents scheduled for Tuesday, but it was canceled.
— Brandon Marcello (@bmarcello) August 23, 2023

According to a report that came out last week from Ross Dellenger at Yahoo Sports, 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 reports that both Rice and Bush have communicated with ACC officials in pursuit of a membership invitation for the schools in which they are vested.

If SMU is also included with Cal and Stanford, a fourth school could be needed to make things even. Who could that fourth team be if it comes to that? That is a point of speculation (it is not likely to be Notre Dame), but those schools must first get in before anything can get serious about that.

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."

More news keeps coming about the conference potentially adding those three schools and it seems like only more is going to come. After it looked like this door was closing, there could be momentum to add all of these schools and give the ACC 17 members. Be sure to stay tuned for the latest.

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