ACC Considers Adding Stanford, Cal, and SMU to Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is seriously considering expanding its membership to include Stanford University, the University of California, and Southern Methodist University (SMU), according to multiple sources familiar with the matter. Discussions have been ongoing for the past month, and the conference is now looking at the financial aspects of the potential expansion.
A group of ACC presidents convened on Wednesday morning to discuss the financial implications of adding new members, as stated by one of the sources. Another set of presidents is expected to meet separately later in the week, while a meeting of the league’s athletic directors is also anticipated.
While the ACC has held several meetings this month to explore expansion possibilities and address financial considerations, no formal vote has taken place yet due to opposition within the league.
In order to add new members, the conference requires the support of 12 out of its 15 member schools. However, during a recent straw poll, Florida State, Clemson, North Carolina, and NC State expressed opposition to the inclusion of Cal and Stanford.
One of the key remaining hurdles is determining the financial models for the potential expansion, as reported by ESPN. SMU has expressed its willingness to join the ACC without accepting any media rights revenue for a period of seven years. On the other hand, Stanford and Cal are open to becoming partial members.
Due to ESPN’s existing pro rata clause with the ACC, the conference would receive full shares of revenue for each new addition. By pooling the money after paying out the partial shares to the Bay Area schools, the ACC could generate additional revenue that can be distributed as desired.
Sources indicate that the expectation is to disperse the additional revenue based on performance, potentially alleviating concerns raised by the dissenting schools. Florida State and Clemson, in particular, have voiced concerns about falling behind their peers in rival conferences such as the SEC and Big Ten in terms of media rights payouts, with a potential gap of $30 million annually. A performance-based model for additional revenue from expansion could help address these concerns.
According to two sources, the ACC appears closer to adding the three schools than at any other point this month, with a final decision potentially being made by the weekend.
If Stanford, Cal, and SMU were to join the ACC, it would extend the conference’s geographical footprint from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific. The ACC would join the Big Ten as the only power conferences to feature members on both the West and East Coasts.
Stanford and Cal currently face limited options after five Pac-12 schools recently left the conference. Should they also decide to depart, only Oregon State and Washington State would remain in the Pac-12.
SMU, a member of the American Athletic Conference since 2013, has been outside of a major power conference since the dissolution of the Southwest Conference in 1996. Earlier this year, there were reports of SMU being a potential target for Pac-12 expansion, and in February, Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff visited the SMU campus and held discussions with administrators.
The final decision regarding the potential inclusion of Stanford, Cal, and SMU in the ACC is eagerly awaited by fans and stakeholders alike.
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