Could Miami Hurricanes get left behind if Big 10 tries to add ACC teams?
The impending decision by Oklahoma and Texas to join the SEC could have a ripple effect through college football. The Miami Hurricanes could get left behind if the Big 10 tries to add teams from the ACC. Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports speculates that the Big 10 could attempt to add one of the big state schools from the ACC.
The speculation from Thamel is the Big 10 could be interested in some combination of Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, or Virginia to fortify their presence on the Atlantic Coast. Maryland who was a charter member of the ACC in 1953 left for the Big 10 in July 2014. How will this impact the Miami Hurricanes?
All of the five above teams have attractive traits to offer the Big 10. Northwestern is currently the only private school in the Big 10. The ACC is full of private schools. Duke and Wake Forest were the only private schools who were charter members of the ACC. The Miami Hurricanes became the third private school in the ACC in 2003.
The decisions for any school are going to be difficult for its own future. Whichever conferences and schools act first will position themselves best for the future. The ACC reportedly made an inquiry to Oklahoma and Texas about their interest in joining the ACC. The ACC will have other options after SEC expansion.
Sources: The ACC and other leagues have made inquiries — through back channels — to Oklahoma and Texas. The schools are still expected to start the process of joining the SEC next week. The Texas and OU backchannel communication to the SEC has been going on for more than a year.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) July 23, 2021
"“The issue for the Big Ten would be that Ohio State is isolated as the league’s power. Could the Big Ten leverage the potential of its next deal with a move to answer, adding Virginia, Georgia Tech, Florida State, North Carolina and Clemson to cover the league’s Eastern flank and fortify the Interstate 95 corridor?There will be pressure on Warren to be bold. But the ACC is protected by a grant of rights through the length of its TV deal. “It’s about combining forces now,” said a high-ranking college official. “Who teams up with who? Do we end up with four leagues? Do we end up with three? Or do we go to a 32-team NFL model. This is going to be earth-shattering.”"
The biggest speculation for the ACC is if Notre Dame will ever join the conference as a full member. Notre Dame currently participates in every sport in the ACC except football. North Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick stated last year that the Fighting Irish prefer being independent for exposure and scheduling flexibility.
The AAC and Big XII will be the primary conferences to watch to view who the ACC could potentially add. Teams on the lower end of the SEC could also be sought after for expansion. The likelihood of an SEC school leaving with what their television contract is going to become is extremely unlikely.
Next. How SEC expansion could affect ACC and Miami. dark
Other than Notre Dame joining as a full member, West Virginia would likely be the top choice of the ACC. West Virginia is already a Power Five school and would bring name recognition that is important with TV revenue. The expansion will be fluid once Oklahoma and Texas officially join the SEC.