Report: Cal and Stanford potentially joining ACC is back on

Sep 19, 2015; Syracuse, NY, USA; General view of the Atlantic Coast Conference logo on a yard marker during the game between the Central Michigan Chippewas and the Syracuse Orange in the third quarter at the Carrier Dome. Syracuse won 30-27 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

Cal and Stanford sought to join the ACC earlier this month, but the move fell through after failing to gain enough support among member schools. Less than two weeks later, it may be back on.

Multiple reports Wednesday indicated that the ACC is once again giving serious consideration to adding Cal and Stanford as members. SMU would also join the conference under the current proposal. Nicole Auerbach of The Athletic reported that the three schools were closer to joining than they had been “at any point this month,” and that a final decision could come by the weekend.

ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that the three schools were likely to make “significant financial concessions” in order to move to the ACC, and that conference presidents are currently discussing potential financial models. Thamel added that SMU has even agreed to take no broadcast media revenue for its first seven years of ACC membership.

Sources: The potential additions of Cal, Stanford and SMU to the ACC are again under serious consideration by the ACC. A small group of ACC presidents met Wednesday morning to discuss financial models that would come with the additions.

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) August 23, 2023

Stanford and Cal were close to joining the ACC roughly ten days ago, but they fell one vote short of what they needed to join. The schools clearly have not given up, and there appears to be growing optimism that at least one of the four dissenting votes might be willing to flip now. Stanford reportedly made a desperate plea to join the conference.