Utah officially reacts to ACC realignment rumors

After a rumor emerged that Utah was entertaining a realignment move to the ACC, the school has come out with an official response.

Utah Utes quarterback Cameron Rising attempts a pass during the Rose Bowl game at the end of the college football season. / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

In recent days, a rumor emerged that there was "discussion" Utah could pull off another conference realignment move and that there were plans to potentially join the ACC, but the incoming Big 12 member school put that speculation to bed.

"We are proud to be entering into membership in the Big 12 Conference in the coming months and excited to join our new colleagues and member institutions," Utah said, via college football reporter Brett McMurphy.

Utah added: "A report over the weekend that suggested otherwise is completely fabricated and irresponsible."

College basketball reporter Dick Weiss said this week that "there is discussion about Utah possibly moving to the ACC despite its recent move to the Big 12, with some suggesting the ACC might be a better fit due to its ESPN network agreement and potential for increased TV value."

Weiss added that "skepticism exists regarding the stability and attractiveness of the ACC compared to the Big 12."

Read More: Every College Football Realignment Move Coming in 2024

College football realignment has been one of the major stories of the last two offseasons after historic movement into and out of the nation's biggest leagues, including an exodus from the Pac-12 that will effectively dissolve the conference this summer.

Utah was a big part of that realignment, joining Colorado, Arizona, and Arizona State in the new-look Big 12, which took on new members after losing Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC, one of the other bombshell expansion moves that was put in motion last offseason.

USC, UCLA, Oregon, and Washington will join the Big Ten, and SMU, Stanford, and Cal are set to join the ACC in two other major realignments, among others.

Right now, Utah's move looks promising, given it sits tied in first place alongside Kansas State with +350 odds to win the Big 12 conference championship, according to the lines at BetMGM.

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