Stanford, Cal, SMU to join Atlantic Coast Conference

What does the latest conference realignment news mean for Gonzaga?

The Atlantic Coast Conference is adding Stanford, Cal and SMU, bringing the league to 18 members by the start of the 2024-25 athletic season. 

ACC presidents and chancellors voted in favor of the additions on Friday morning as the conference board of directors formally approved the three schools’ applications.

Stanford and Cal join the conference taking a reduced media rights revenue share of around 30% according to Yahoo Sports, as both will give back portions of revenue to the ACC until the 10th year. SMU will forgo all media rights revenue for the first nine years, with the exception of College Football Playoff, NCAA Tournament and bowl game distribution that the conference shares.

The three schools joined the conference despite pushback from four league members — Clemson, Florida State, North Carolina and NC State — that were opposed to expansion. NC State flipped its vote in favor of the additions, according to reports.

The ACC is expected to receive an additional $72 million in media rights revenue, with $50-$60 million of that being made available through a revised financial model or incentive programs based on success in major sports like football and men’s basketball.

Expanding to an 18-team league grants the ACC a buffer against a clause in the media rights deal with ESPN, which has the right to renegotiate if the membership falls below 15 schools. Seven schools, including Florida State and Clemson, have searched for exit opportunities out of the ACC in recent weeks.

Additions to the Big Ten and Big 12 have already stretched the limits of geography, but Bay Area schools joining the ACC is just as notable in its own right. Louisville is the closest school to California at nearly 2,000 miles away. Most trips to the East Coast involve six-hour flights. Travel is one of many issues Gonzaga has to grapple with when exploring a move to a bigger conference. 

The move also leaves Oregon State and Washington State as the only remaining members of the Pac-12. Both schools have received interest from the Mountain West and AAC for membership, as the pair also explores rebuilding the Pac-12 conference under the same branding.