ACC Ponders Next Move Amid Shakeups, Media Rights Battle 

While the Pac-12 struggles to survive the defection of five more teams, the ACC’s most influential schools are pondering how they can remain competitive in the increasingly consolidated landscape of college sports.

Before the wheels fell off the Pac-12’s wagon on Friday afternoon, the ACC was scheduled to meet that evening to discuss its own expansion plans, according to Yahoo Sports. A “coast to coast” idea included the possibility of adding as many as seven Pac-12 schools. 

Florida State has particularly been making noise, and its power brokers are clearly worried about the school’s future. 

The ACC is locked into a media rights deal with ESPN that pays the conference just $240 million a year through 2036 — which will be fourth behind the Big Ten, SEC, and Big 12 in 2025. The Seminoles have also begun working with JP Morgan to explore institutional investment.

Chain Reactions

Clemson head football coach Dabo Swinney said he isn’t surprised by the moves and expects even larger conferences in the future — as well as a bigger College Football Playoff, which is already expanding to 12 teams next season. 

“Eventually we’re going to have … 40, 50, 54 teams (in a league), something like that — and it’s going to be a 14- or 16-team playoff,” he said.

Michigan regent Jordan Acker called the Big Ten’s addition of Oregon and Washington “utterly indefensible on any other grounds” but TV money, blaming the NCAA for not having college sports “under control.”