Report: North Carolina, NC State, Florida State, Clemson opposed additions of Cal and Stanford to ACC

Earlier this week, the ACC presidents met to discuss potentially inviting Cal and Stanford to the league. The additions hit “significant roadblocks,” according to ESPN, as four schools reportedly opposed the move — which needed 12 of 15 yes votes.

A new report from Sports Illustrated reveals which schools were against the decision.

North Carolina, NC State, Florida State and Clemson all opposed the additions of Cal and Stanford, Pat Forde and Richard Johnson reported Friday. As a result, it’s not likely the ACC will hold a formal vote about possibly adding the two Pac-12 schools as the fallout continues from the latest round of conference realignment.

SI also reported Notre Dame, Pitt, Georgia Tech and Louisville as the “most vocal” in their support to add the two programs. Although Notre Dame doesn’t compete in the ACC in football — maintaining the independence it’s proud of — the school is still a full voting member. Commissioner Jim Phillips also prepared financial scenarios as well as scheduling possibilities.

Cal and Stanford were two of the teams to come up in connection with possible ACC expansion, along with SMU. However, talks of adding the Mustangs fell through as well even though they reportedly would forego revenue for the next five years.

Cal, Stanford and the rest of the so-called Pac-4 continue to ask ‘What’s next?’

Cal and Stanford are two of the remaining teams left from the soon-to-be “Pac-4” after six teams announced their departures starting in 2024. Oregon and Washington announced their decisions to join USC and UCLA in the Big Ten in 2024. After that, the Four Corner schools — Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah — announced they would go to the Big 12 that same year.

That left the Golden Bears and Cardinal behind, along with Oregon State and Washington State. However, OSU’s president said the plan is to “rebuild” the Pac-12 in a Friday evening statement. Still, adding Cal and Stanford meant the ACC would expand to both coasts, and On3’s Eric Prisbell reported TV executives questioned how much sense that would make.

Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick opened up about his feelings that the two programs would be strong additions in an conversation with ESPN’s Heather Dinich. He pointed to their academic records as reasons why they’d make sense.

“The notion that two of the very best academic institutions in the world who also play D-I sports could be abandoned in this latest chapter of realignment is an indictment on college athletics,” Swarbrick said in a text message to Dinich.