Westward Expansion: Stanford, Cal, and SMU Set to Join the ACC
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In a dramatic twist of events that unfolded Friday morning, the Atlantic Coast Conference voted to expand the league, welcoming three schools from the west into the fold - Stanford, Cal, and SMU.
Conventionally, votes on matters of league expansion are cast unanimously and seen as mere formalities when ACC presidents convene. However, the situation leading up to Friday's pivotal decision was anything but ordinary as the league waffled back and forth on the decision heading into the vote.
The ACC required a minimum of 12 out of 15 votes to greenlight the move, according to reports, Clemson, Florida State, North Carolina, and N.C. State were the dissenting voices, early on standing firm in their reservations about the proposed expansion, but things shifted over the past few days. In the end, it is believed that the Wolfpack flipped to push the league to expand.
The recent decision to expand the ACC was met with suspense and controversy, revealing the complex dynamics within the league. Commissioner Jim Phillips will now face the challenge of leading a league where the strongest football voices were not in favor of expansion.
The expansion, slated to become a reality in the coming years, marks a pivotal moment in ACC history and continues reshaping the landscape in college sports.
This decision will see the ACC grow to 18 members, with 17 of them committing to full-time football participation within the league. The three new schools will join the league for the 2024-25 school year and they will compete in all sports. According to reports, Cal and Stanford will get a 30% share of the ACC payouts and SMU will come in for seven years taking zero revenue from the league.