Pitt is one of the teams that is supportive of bringing in Pac-12 schools Cal and Stanford into the ACC, according to Pat Forde of Sports Illustrated.
“Sources described ACC members Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Georgia Tech and Louisville as among the most vocal in advocating for the Cardinal and Golden Bears to join the league,” Pat Forde wrote. “ACC commissioner Jim Phillips has been leading the discussion, presenting financial and scheduling scenarios to the league members.”
The ACC needs 12 of its 15 members to vote yes on bringing in teams to the conference. There are currently four teams that oppose Stanford and Cal joining the conference, which are Clemson, Florida State, North Carolina and North Carolina State. Without the 12 schools needed for support of the move, it is unlikely that there will be a formal vote on whether or not to expand the conference.
The Pac-12 has broken apart over the past month, but it all started when USC and UCLA announced that they were leaving for the Big Ten in July 2022. Colorado started the leave this summer by announcing their decision to return to the Big 12, with Arizona, Arizona State and Utah choosing to join them shortly after. Oregon and Washington also decided to join the Big Ten with USC and UCLA, albeit, with a worse deal than than them.
Washington State, Oregon State, Cal and Stanford are the only four teams remaining in the Pac-12. This 2023-24 academic year is the last that the conference will have 12 members.
Stanford and Cal are both top-tier academic institutions, which is desirable for the ACC. Stanford also is one of the best athletic departments across the country, with great olympic sports. Both teams have their negatives, in that they are on the west coast and are attempting to join an east coast conference and neither is a top football school, the main reason for the conference realignment moves.
According to this report, it appears that Pitt athletic director Heather Lyke is largely in support of the ACC expanding. How she and the other schools in the conference move forward with conference realignment will become apparent in the coming days and weeks ahead.
Expect FSU and Clemson would drop their objections if they were released from the contract.
The 2 worst academically too. Well maybe Miami beats one of them.
very true but sadly, academics don’t really bring the same $$ back to the school.
The four schools voting against are the ones planning to leave. What a knife in the back!!!! Trying to end the ACC and ruin the schools that are left!
Couldn’t have been said any better!
Not surprised that Pitt and Notre Dame would vote in favor of adding these teams to the league. I think they would add to the league. I also think that if they join, then Notre Dame could become a football member. With these super conferences forming, non conference games are going to be far more difficult to schedule. With no football conference affiliation, this will effect their scheduling and effect their chances to play for the national championship. Their chances would improve greatly by belonging to the ACC.
The ACC is done. They tried to bury their heads in the sand but they are on life support.
They need to bring in teams, or merge with another league and then kick those 4 teams out.
Let them go be bottom feeders in the SEC or B10.
The ACC needs to realize their seat at the big table is pretty much gone and the only way to survive is as a lower tier league.