CFB insider claims ACC expansion for 2 schools getting lobbied by Condoleezza Rice as conference realignment gets political

Former Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice seems to be lobbying the Atlantic Coast Conference for expansion. The deal would see the Pac-12's exodus continue, with Stanford and Cal leaving for the ACC. They would be joined by the American Athletic Conference's Southern Methodist University.

The former Secretary of State is known to be a golf fan.

ACC expansion: lobbied by the high powers

Condoleezza Rice served President G.W. Bush as both National Security Advisor (2001-2005) and Secretary of State (2005-2009). Her connections to Stanford are extensive, a school better known for academics than football (third in the 2023 Qs World Ranking of Universities). She was Stanford's provost in the late 1990s and currently teaches there, where she is also the Hoover Institute director.

Cal is currently without a representative for the negotiations with the ACC.

Rice also has some stake in SMU's negotiations with the ACC. Former First Lady Laura Bush attended SMU. The university also boasts the George W. Bush Presidential Library. Some would say Rice would be more than happy to please the old boss one more time.

Condoleezza Rice and the College Football Playoff

The NCAA seems to think the former Secretary of State knows a thing or two about football and not just geopolitics since she was a member of the College Football Playoff selection committee for three seasons from 2014 to 2017.

Rice, the only woman on the committee at the time, served as the liaison with the ACC, Mid-American Conference, Big Ten, Big 12 and Conference USA.

"I've been on a lot of committees – government, corporate, university – and I've said many times, I think it's the best committee I've ever served on," Rice told ESPN. "We had this thing of checking our hats at the door. Everybody really did. Everybody was there for a common goal and really working really hard toward it.

"There weren't agendas in the room, and I really enjoyed it tremendously."

Pac-12 exodus

Stanford and Cal are looking for a new home after conference rivals Arizona, Arizona State and Utah announced they were leaving the Pac-12 for the Big-12.

USC and Oregon are also leaving for the Big Ten next season. Their departures coincided with the announcement that the University of Texas and the University of Oklahoma would be joining the Southeastern Conference in 2024, making an already competitive conference all the more tough.

The Trojans will soon be playing in the Big Ten.

Well, apparently the realignment of college football is not done, because three important schools are looking to join the ACC: Stanford, Cal and SMU.

Out of the bunch, Stanford is the most appealing, being one of the world's top academic institutions and boasting a strong athletic program. They also boast incredibly strong finances in their athletic program.

Cal might boast an equally strong academic side, but its athletic program is in shambles, both financially and performance-wise. Finally, SMU has long been touted for a move to a Power Five conference and has some strong financial backing from its alumni core.