As the upcoming conference realignment starts to manifest, one group of ACC schools appears to be considering alternative means of continuing forward on their own.
According to Brett McMurphy of The Action Network, Clemson, Florida State, Miami, UNC, NC State, Virginia and Virginia Tech have joined forces to meet with lawyers and determine whether it’s possible to break free of the current ACC grant-of-rights. The current ACC deal runs through 2036.
The ACC was the one Power Five conference that did not see any additions or losses in the recent round of expansions. The Big 12 has already added four schools in anticipation of losing Oklahoma and Texas to the SEC, while the Big Ten will be taking UCLA and USC from the Pac-12.
It seems safe to say that the departure of those seven schools would be a massive financial blow to the ACC. It might even be a fatal one.
Clemson, FSU, Miami, UNC, NC State, Virginia & Virginia Tech are “The Magnificent 7” ACC schools, sources told @ActionNetworkHQ. These schools, @RossDellenger reported, have met in past several months, w/lawyers examining grant-of-rights to determine just how unbreakable it is.…
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) May 15, 2023
In losing Clemson, FSU and Miami, the ACC would lose their three biggest football powerhouses. Losing the teams from North Carolina and Virginia would also cripple their basketball numbers too.
As prolific as Duke basketball is, it wouldn’t be able to carry the ACC for long.
But all of this is just speculation for the time-being. For all we know the seven schools will look at their options and find that staying in the ACC is best for their short- and long-term financial security.
Still, this is a situation that could change in the blink of an eye.