ACC Unlikely to Add Cal, Stanford, SMU Due to a Lack of Support in the Conference

Earlier this week, reporting came out that the ACC was looking into adding Cal, Stanford, and SMU as new member schools in the conference, specifically with Notre Dame making a hard push to add them.

Cal and Stanford are newly orphaned athletic programs after the PAC-12 essentially dissolved this past Friday, leaving only 4 schools in its wake. SMU, on the other hand, is looking to make a push to enter a power conference, fearing that it could be their last chance to get a spot at the table. But talks seem to have fallen apart as of late on Wednesday night due to a lack of support.

The ACC needs to meet a 75% threshold to add new members, meaning that there are at least 4 schools holding out and not allowing the conference to add new members.

Without enough support from its member schools, ACC expansion this offseason is essentially dead. There are no other viable options out there for the ACC to add that will be better than Cal, Stanford, or SMU. And it seems unlikely anyone is going to change their minds on this vote. So the conference will likely plod on another year with the same 14.5 members, while one has already made it abundantly clear that they want to leave. FSU could be one of the schools holding up ACC expansion while simultaneously threatening to abandon the ACC altogether. Boston College could’ve had a lot to gain with this expansion, including future stability if FSU & others leave the conference. Why Stanford & Cal Joining the ACC Would Be Great for Boston College