Oregon State, Utah, San Diego State, USF tied to rumor about ACC expansion candidates

Former Saturday Blitz contributor Luke Fletcher tagged Oregon State, Utah, San Diego State, and USF to a post explaining ESPN's criteria when looking for potential expansion candidates in the ACC if/when FSU, Clemson, and UNC (among others) leave the conference in the future.

"Update on ACC/ESPN 'look-in': Being told that future pro rata of expansion candidates will be directly tied to the increase in the TV value they brings to the ESPN-owned ACC Network," Fletcher wrote with tags of those teams.

While it's unclear whether or not Fletcher was implying those teams fit the criteria or not, it is the second time Oregon State and USF have been tied to the ACC. PressBox DC's Jim Williams tabbed Memphis, Tulane, Wazzu, Oregon State, UConn, and USF as members of a potential contingency plan for the conference in the event FSU, Clemson, UNC, and Louisville leave.

ESPN can cancel ACC TV contract if no suitable replacement conference model emerges

Longtime college football radio host Greg Swaim believes there's a real possibility that ESPN avoids Fletcher and Williams' proposed routes and instead decide to cancel the ACC's Grant of Rights agreement.

"Others reporting various legal suits being filed by both current ACC members and the conference itself, but in a nutshell here is what's going on...and what's going to happen," Swaim prefaced before saying, "FSU and Clemson want out for more money, and UNC and soon UVA will jump to a higher paying conference, either the Big Ten or SEC.

"The rest will then try to leave, as at that point ESPN will cancel the contract and those schools remaining that get a Big 12 offer will take it, as the ACC will basically be dead in the water as a P4 at that time. It's just that simple...at least until the Super Conference plan kicks in around 2031."

If the ACC wants to maintain a conference, it'll need to convince ESPN that it's warranted through Swaim's point of view.