Rumor: Clemson could leave ACC in July, join FSU in SEC without AAU accreditation

Longtime college football radio host Greg Swaim suggested that Clemson could leave the ACC as soon as July, sharing a GIF of The Tiger mascot mimicking the divergence of two different entities.

Swaim also reiterated that the Big Ten may not be willing to facilitate their additions if the two schools don't gain AAU accreditation or have unanimous support from all of the conference's members for their arrivals.

"Once again, neither Clemson nor FSU are anywhere near AAU accredited, so unless the six B1G schools who've told us they are adamantly opposed to inviting non-AAU schools get their minds changed quickly, these two ACC schools are SEC bound," Swaim wrote.

Realignment winds indicating movement from FSU and Clemson from the ACC to the Big Ten, not the SEC

Swaim's sources are in direct opposition to college football insider Brett McMurphy, who indicated that he heard the SEC doesn't even want FSU and Clemson and instead it'd be the Big Ten that'd land the two schools.

“They’re gonna leave,” McMurphy said (h/t On3). “It’s not if, it’s when. I was at ACC Spring Meetings a couple of weeks ago and … basically sources with the ACC told me no surprise, the ACC is going to fight this to the bitter end. Obviously at some point they’re going to have to settle, but the ACC is going to delay that settlement as long as they can.

“Because as soon as they do reach a settlement and there is a number established for Florida State and Clemson to exit, then that opens the door for other schools to leave. The North Carolina schools, the Virginia schools. Certainly the SEC would have interest. I don’t think they have interest in Florida State or Clemson because they’ve already got Florida and South Carolina.”

AAU accreditation feels like something schools in the Big Ten would look past to expand into the south and increase revenue. If anything, a future promise to seek accreditation could probably cover that contractually.