The wheels of conference realignment haven't stopped spinning, but Stanford and California's quest to leave the Pac-12 have reportedly come to a screeching halt -- at least, for now. Presidents from the ACC met Wednesday night, but no vote was taken after discussions to consider adding the Cardinal or the Golden Bears encountered "significant roadblocks," according to multiple media reports.
Notre Dame, which is a member of the ACC in every sport other than football, has been pushing for the conference to add Stanford and Cal. The Cardinal is one of Notre Dame's primary rivals in football, and California is the Cardinal's biggest rival. Notre Dame does have the ability to vote on ACC expansion despite being an affiliate member of the ACC and competing in the league in all sports except football.
CBS Sports reported earlier this week that Stanford and Cal have been lobbying to join the ACC. Their quest got to a point where the ACC's athletic directors discussed the matter on a conference call on Monday, which suggests that there was at least enough interest in the possibility to discuss adding the two schools.
The stall in Stanford and Cal's push to join the ACC comes amid a wild chain of events that has led to a potential downfall of the Pac-12. The conference has virtually fallen apart over the last year. It was announced last summer that USC and UCLA will depart for the Big Ten prior to the 2024 season. Last week, Oregon and Washington announced they will follow the Trojans and Bruins when they make the move. Colorado, Utah, Arizona and Arizona State will leave the Pac-12 for the Big 12 prior to the 2024 season as well. The flurry of moves have left Stanford, California, Oregon State and Washington State as the only four members scheduled to be in the Pac-12 in 2024-25.
In addition to the moves that have already been announced, Florida State has been very vocal about its future in the conference. The new-look Big Ten and cash cow SEC are expected to distribute upwards of $70 million each to its member institutions through their new television deals. Florida State, which is virtually locked into the ACC through 2036, is pushing for a revised distribution model that will reward even more money to schools that have success on the field.
