Countdown to SMU, Cal, and Stanford in the ACC is underway, are the Canes ready?

After nearly two decades of no movement amongst conferences, the great alignment is underway and an hour-by-hour countdown to the ACC gaining three new players is dwindling.

The Miami Hurricanes have long held a spot in the ACC, leaving the Big East in 2004 for the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Rivalries with Florida State, Clemson, and other conference opponents have burned brightly since the Canes joined the ACC.

However, with new faces joining the Hurricanes’ homestead, will new rivalries blossom or will the Canes be able to dominate the three new teams?

Miami versus SMU Mustangs

The Ponies and the Canes have faced each other just one time on a football field and it was nearly six decades ago.

In 1965, the SMU Mustangs defeated the Miami Hurricanes 7-3 in a barn burner of a defensive brawl.

In the more modern era, the Canes have had a leg up on the Mustangs, having been a part of a Power Five conference for decades while 2024 will be SMU’s debut in the newly configured Power Four conferences.

Miami should be able to easily handle SMU across the board, beyond just taking the Ponies down on the football field.

Miami versus California Golden Bears

Over the last six decades, the Cal and Miami football teams have met four times, the most recent matchup was in 2008.

The Golden Bears and the Hurricanes have split the matchups right down the middle, with two wins each. However, Miami has outscored the Bears by nearly 12 points on average.

Cal has struggled to maintain its status in collegiate football over the past few years, playing against Pac-12 powerhouses like USC, Oregon, and Washington.

As Mario Cristobal continues to work on Miami’s football fate, the Canes should be able to and need to demolish the Golden Bears.

Miami versus Stanford Cardinal

Somewhat surprisingly, the Canes and the Cardinal have never clashed on a football field.

As the two historied programs meet in a shared conference, Miami sits at a much more dominant place in the nation for almost any sport.

Stanford football and men’s basketball sit well below the Hurricanes. However, the Cardinal baseball, volleyball, women’s basketball, and softball teams might make for quality competition against the Canes.

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