ACC firing up expansion talks once again with 3 familiar targets in mind

The ACC could be looking to add three new schools into their league if the dollars make sense.

Who would have guess the latest wave of college football realignment was not going to be the last?

The ACC is at a crossroads of grow or die. Its Grant of Rights deal is absolutely horrific, so much so that football blue-blood Florida State would cut off its nose to spite its face just to get out from under this mess. Fate would have it, the Seminoles are one of four schools who could decide the fate of Cal, Stanford and SMU in joining them in their league. Of course, financial concessions need to be made...

ESPN's Pete Thamel reported on Wednesday that the ACC is seriously looking at adding Cal, Stanford and SMU. While Cal and Stanford could theoretically agree to taking the same lesser financial share from its potential new league, SMU may end up conceding broadcast media revenue for a full seven years, if that is what it took for the small Christian school in Dallas to go Power Five.

With SMU being willing to eat it financially to make this work, it might be what it takes to get the two Pac-12 holdovers on board with joining a bicoastal Atlantic Coast Conference. This is beyond insane!

ACC could be looking to add three familiar teams with a financial twist

While one would think that SMU foregoing seven years of broadcast media revenue to join the fourth best Power Five conference sounds asinine, you have to remember that the Mustangs have not been in a major conference since the collapse of the old Southwest Conference nearly 30 years ago. We also have to factor in that while it is a small school, SMU does offer a deep-pocketed alumni base.

As far as the Cal and Stanford components are concerned, it seems as though they are going to do whatever they do in lock step. If Notre Dame were to ever become a full-time member of the ACC, that might entice them to join and stay in their new league in the wake of the Pac-12 going kaput. They will take less broadcast media revenue because they are desperate academic brands out west.

Ultimately, even with the potential additions of Cal, Stanford and SMU, that may not be enough to prevent the likes of Florida State and Clemson from bolting to either of the Power Two conferences in the Big Ten or SEC. What I expect to happen is for the ACC to gobble up territory like Brett Yormark has done with the Big 12. Maybe they consider adding Tulane if Notre Dame stays independent?

For now, the ACC looking to expand in the Southwest and the West Coast seems to be back on track.