Report: ESPN could pay ACC $72 million more if conference adds three teams

More details are coming out about the impact of ACC expansion, according to Yahoo! Sports’ Ross Dellenger. Rumors continue to swirl about the possible additions of Cal, Stanford and SMU, and the TV implications are becoming clear.

If the ACC adds three teams, ESPN could pay the league $72 million in additional revenue, Dellenger reported. No decision has been made yet about the possible additions, but there’s a higher level of confidence than there was before.

Concessions would have to be made by Cal, Stanford and SMU, but a “large portion” estimated to be about $55 million — possibly incentive-based — would be distributed on an annual basis, according to Dellenger. SMU has also made it clear it would be willing to forgo the next few years of TV revenue if it leaves the American Athletic Conference for the ACC.

The ACC previously met about potentially adding Cal, Stanford and SMU, but the meeting hit “significant roadblocks,” ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported at the time. However, talks started up again this week as the idea comes back around.

Earlier Wednesday, Thamel reported renewed interest in exploring ACC expansion as a small group of presidents met to go over financial models.

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

“Those models are expected to include significant financial concessions from the school that will be added.”

When the ACC met to discuss expansion last week, four schools — later revealed to be Clemson, Florida State, North Carolina, and NC State — were against such a move. For the league to expand, 12 of the 15 schools have to vote yes.

One school that’s showing its support for specifically adding Cal and Stanford is Notre Dame. Athletics director Jack Swarbrick previously told ESPN’s Heather Dinich the two schools’ academic records are a big reason for that, and he joined The Dan Patrick Show on Wednesday to further make his point.

“We are where we are, and we have to try and make it work,” Swarbrick said. “I mean, we’ve been pretty vocal in the past month about, we need to find a home for Stanford and Cal. You can’t have two of the great academic institutions in the world, not have a place to play.”