The ACC was thought to be on death's door following the 2023 season, when the Florida State Seminoles were snubbed from the final four-team CFP field, despite winning the conference championship after going 13-0.
In 2026, though, the conference is no longer in danger of the SEC, Big Ten, and even Big 12 swooping in and taking any of its top schools. FSU and the Clemson Tigers have made amends with the conference, dropping their previous lawsuits to escape the ACC, and the Miami Hurricanes just represented the conference in the CFP title game.
On3's Andy Staples believes the ACC can survive off a strong football base, not even getting into the fact that the conference is far and away the strongest brand-wise in basketball because of the North Carolina Tar Heels and Duke Blue Devils.
Staples did acknowledge the back-alley super league conversations, but conceded that short of that, the ACC is in a good place and will almost certainly survive after being on death's doorstep a few short years ago.
"I feel like the ACC is in a little healthier place than it's been. Even though there is sort of a sword hanging over their heads. Obviously, everyone is worrying about a formation of a super league... they have a way now where if you're good at football, you're going to make more money than everybody else," Staples said on "the Paul Finebaum Show."
SMU and Miami saved the ACC by making the CFP
While the Seminoles have been a dumpster fire since 2023, Clemson was respectable in 2024 and made the CFP. Had the Tigers been the only team to say that, it's possible Clemson and FSU would still be considering taking their ball and going to a different court.
The SMU Mustangs and "The U" may have saved the conference by making the CFP field over that time span, and in the case of Miami, showing that there are other potential national champions in the ACC.
You don't hear about the SEC trying to get into the North Carolina market via the Tar Heels anymore. You don't hear about the Big Ten trying to get into the state of Florida anymore, either. The conversation has drastically shifted, with the Big 12 looking like the weak link of the Power 4. No one is even talking about taking Big 12 schools, though, despite the Texas Tech Red Raiders being an NIL/rev-share powerhouse.
College Football is definitely better off with four Power 4 conferences. The dream would be for the Pac-12 to become as culturally relevant as it was. One battle at a time, though.
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