Stanford, Cal, SMU Could Join ACC As Revenue Details Emerge

After weeks of stalled progress, the ACC could finally be ready to jump aboard the expansion train — with some specific details being discussed.

Stanford, California, and Southern Methodist University are now close to joining the ACC, according to multiple reports. The new schools would reportedly accept smaller shares of revenue distribution than the ACC’s current members, and ESPN could increase its $240 million annual media rights fee by as much as $72 million, according to Yahoo Sports. 

Out of that new money, Cal and Stanford would accept about $7 million to $10 million annually, SMU would get nothing, and the rest would go into a pot for rewarding schools under the ACC’s new performance-based distribution model.

That would be akin to Oregon and Washington accepting smaller revenue payments to join the Big Ten — although those are still reported to be around $30 million per year.

ACC athletic directors are scheduled to meet Thursday night, and any official vote would require approval from 12 of the 15 university presidents (including Notre Dame, which is not a full-time member). Clemson, Florida State, North Carolina, and NC State have been opposed to expansion so far — so it could likely be up to those four schools to decide if the extra money from ESPN would be enough to change their minds.

A source told Front Office Sports that the ACC is hoping to have a decision on expansion by the start of Week 1 games next week.