ACC explored adding multiple Pac-12 schools, presidents meeting tonight to discuss expansion plans

The ACC apparently had its eyes westward for possible expansion but might be done with that notion after five Pac-12 schools bolted for other conferences on Friday.

According to a report from Yahoo! Sports’ Ross Dellenger, the ACC had “seriously explored adding 5-7 Pac-12 schools” prior to Friday’s moves.

But the league watched as Oregon and Washington accepted bids to the Big Ten and Arizona, Arizona State and Utah accepted invitations to the Big 12. Those moves brought the Big Ten’s total number of teams to 18 and the Big 12’s to 16.

Prior to any ACC expansion plans being executed, the league currently sports 14 member programs, which will lag the aforementioned conferences and the SEC (16) come 2024.

So the league will continue hosting talks about potential expansion plans, with the ACC presidents scheduled to meet tonight, according to Dellenger.

Where the league pivots from here is anyone’s guess, though, particularly with Florida State making waves this week by saying it doesn’t envision a scenario where it’s practical for the program to remain in the ACC without a change in the league’s payout structure.

“My current assessment of the situation after very deep analysis is that I believe that FSU will have to at some point consider very seriously leaving the ACC unless there were a radical change to the revenue distribution,” FSU president Rick McCullough said.

The major thing prompting conference realignment this go-round seemed to be just that, with the Big Ten and SEC set to lap the rest of the field in the annual revenue it brings in via its broadcast rights deals in the coming years.

Oregon and Washington, for one, are set to recoup a bit more than a new Pac-12 deal would have paid them, earning a partial share of the Big Ten’s revenue distribution and able to borrow against earnings from a future TV deal if necessary.

Arizona, Arizona State and Utah walk into a situation where the Big 12 had negotiated a pro-rata payout rate for new Power Five additions to the league. Essentially, they also were headed for a bigger payday than the new Pac-12 deal could provide.

So where do the ACC expansion plans go from here? Does the league look to poach a few schools and renegotiate with its TV partners? Does it try to rearrange the league’s Grant of Rights to free up more flexibility?

Stay tuned. The way things have gone the last few days, late-night meetings have had the potential to produce some early morning fireworks.