ACC expansion and survival, including Notre Dame and Stanford, explained

With the fallout from the Pac-12 literally falling apart still shaking the college football world, the NCAA and fans turn their eyes to the ACC, where the conference could be the next one to experience a major overhaul. The SEC and Big Ten are the two superpowers; every major college program is going to try and align themselves with the two conferences because they make the most money and will have the most eyes on them. That leaves the Big 12, who continue to add the remnants of the Pac-12, the major Group of Five programs, and the ACC.

So, let’s dig into what’s really happening along the Atlantic Coast and figure out what’s going on?

Who is currently in the ACC?

So as of (/checks clock) 10:00 am Eastern time, the current schools in the ACC are: Florida State, Miami, Clemson, North Carolina, Duke, Wake Forest, NC State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Boston College, Pitt, Syracuse, Virginia and Virginia Tech. Notre Dame is also here, but it’s complicated.

What’s so complicated about Notre Dame?

I’m glad you asked. So, Notre Dame is technically in the ACC for all of their sports except football and ice hockey. They negotiated that into their contract with the ACC when their sports got merged with the conference, and that contract expires in 2036. The caveat here is that while the Irish remain independent, they have to play five ACC teams in their football schedule.

The Fighting Irish really having their cake and eating it as well.

However, Notre Dame also wants to make a lot of demands. Traditional rivalries are big for the Irish, and some of their biggest ones are USC, Cal and Stanford. The Big Ten currently has a major negotiating chip in their hand with USC becoming a Big Ten member in 2024, so it could coax Notre Dame into being a part of the conference (Notre Dame has stated before that they plan on remaining independent regardless of any realignment shakeups, but you never know)

So how does Notre Dame play into all of this?

Alright so we’ve established two things:

1. Notre Dame is still a massive chip on the table, due to their popularity and their exclusive NBC streaming deal.
2. They’re remaining independent, but the Big Ten is still angling for them.

So with those two things in mind, allow me to break your brain for just a second:

Potential ATLANTIC COAST Conference schools Cal and Stanford.

Yeah.

Just think about that for a moment.

Alright now that we’re back, Cal and Stanford are the two biggest pieces remaining of the Pac-4, but rumors are that they’re looking around for a safe place to land when the Pac-12’s ship finally capsizes. One of those places is potentially the ACC, and both have begun exploring the possibility along with the conference … and Notre Dame.

So yes, noted non-conference member Notre Dame wants Cal and Stanford added…