The ACC can see radical conference realignment in the coming years, and perhaps months, according to PressBox DC's Jim Williams. According to the long-time college football insider, Memphis, Tulane, Wazzu, Oregon State, UConn, and USF can join the conference if FSU, Clemson, UNC, and Louisville leave; with FSU and UNC becoming members of the Big Ten.
On February 29, North Carolina took a step toward leaving the conference with the change in policy "in which state universities must now seek approval from the system president before switching conferences" (h/t Saturday Down South).
FSU has already been taking steps to escape the ACC for a bigger potential payday -- and a chance at making the College Football Playoff every time they win the conference and go undefeated, something they didn't get in 2023.
Certain dominoes falling will allow conference realignment to continue at its break-neck pace from the past few years. In the process, the ACC's standing could be threatened, with its top programs already having eyes elsewhere.
Revamped College Football Playoff favoring SEC and Big Ten should have top ACC schools considering conference realignment
If the revamped 14-team College Football Playoff model is approved by the College Football Playoff Selection Committee, the Clemson's and FSU's of the world should be looking for a way out immediately. One of the major negotiation points would give the SEC and Big Ten three automatic qualifying bids to the CFP. The ACC and Big 12 would only have two.
It's clear the SEC and Big Ten are trying to become super conferences, and it's also possible both could look to branch off from the NCAA altogether. As that game of musical chairs is being played, why wouldn't the top ACC and Big 12 teams look to get in on the revenue?
And if/when that happens, schools from the AAC and what's left of the Pac-12 (Pac-2?) should be looking to fill in the blanks in the ACC, as Williams suggests could/will be the case.