AAC can become a new contender for Pac-12 teams after ACC fails to flip votes for Stanford, Cal and SMU

Stanford and Cal are intensifying their efforts to leave the Pac-12 for the ACC. The two universities, along with SMU, have been lobbying in the last few weeks to join the East Coast conference following an initial failure to get enough votes required for admission.

However, should the move to join the ACC fall through, there could be redemption for the Pac-12 expansion plan. College football insider Jim Williams reports that the Pac-12 might turn to the American Athletic Conference to add more teams in time for the 2024 season.

The choice of the AAC over the Mountain West Conference could be due to a smaller exit fee. Mountain West teams will have to pay $34 million to leave in time for 2024, whereas, the three teams (Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF) that exited the AAC for the Big 12 paid $18 million to leave the league early.

However, the Pac-12 expansion remains a remote possibility as Stanford and Cal continue to push to join the ACC. Nonetheless, Williams reports that SMU, Rice, Tulane, USF, and possibly Memphis or Tulsa are on the list of potential candidates for the expansion plan.

Will there be a vote flip in the ACC?

Florida State, Clemson, North Carolina and North Carolina State voted against the possibility of adding new teams to the ACC a few weeks ago. Nonetheless, one of them has to flip its vote to get the required 75% support needed to proceed with the ratification of the expansion.

Despite the amount of talk and lobbying going on internally within the league, there are no indications that a flip will occur in the next voting session.

With the Seminoles and Tigers expected to hold firm, the hope of a vote flip lies with either the Tar Heels or the Wolfpacks.

Nonetheless, the leadership of the ACC has internally discussed the new financial model to be adopted with the addition of Stanford, Cal, and SMU. The financial concessions offered by expansion candidates will create a monetary pool to be redistributed among existing teams.

Pac-12 could add from the Mountain West in 2025

Should the Pac-12 expansion eventually become a reality, the league is expected to consider adding the Mountain West in 2025. Then, the exit fee for the teams will be $17 million, provided they give an exit notification in 2024, a year prior to the exit in 2025.

The likes of San Diego State, Colorado State, Boise State, and Fresno State could be potential candidates from the Mountain West for the Pac-12 expansion. The hope of survival; however, remains tiny for the Pac-12.