"Those are the likely four" - CFB Insider adds fuel to wild theory about Big-12 hunting 4 ACC schools as Clemson, FSU reportedly leaving ACC

The ACC put the proverbial final nail in the coffin of the Pac-12 earlier this month as they voted to approve expansion and add the California Golden Bears, Stanford Cardinal, and SMU Mustangs. There has been speculation that the conference could be the next to face a wave of departures and potentially fall apart.

College football analyst Greg Swaim recently gave an update, claiming that the Clemson Tigers, Florida State Seminoles, North Carolina Tar Heels, and Virginia Cavaliers could all wind up in the same conference, tweeting:

"It's no secret whatsoever that there are seven (and very likely several more) #ACC teams who want out sooner than later, and now several very solid #SEC sources telling us that #FSU, #Clemson, #UNC and #UVA could be a "block of four" who leave together for either the SEC or #B1G."

When a commenter claimed that the Big 12 will gladly take the Louisville Cardinals, North Carolina State Wolfpack, Pittsburgh Panthers, and Virginia Tech Hokies, Swaim responded:

"Those are the likely four."

It is well known that seven ACC schools have been looking to break the conference's grant of rights agreement and depart. Brett McMurphy of The Action Network shared as much all the way back in May, tweeting:

"Clemson, FSU, Miami, UNC, NC State, Virginia & Virginia Tech are 'The Magnificent 7' ACC schools, sources told @ActionNetworkHQ. These schools, @RossDellenger reported, have met in past several months, w/lawyers examining grant-of-rights to determine just how unbreakable it is. ACC deal runs thru 2036."

What remains unclear, however, is how the schools will get out of the grant of rights agreement. Unlike the Pac-12, whose media rights deal is set to expire after this season, the ACC's deal runs through the 2036 season. Leaving the conference would likely require schools to pay a hefty exit fee, which would diminish the incentive of departing.

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ACC commissioner shares reason for expansion

The ACC was the final Power Five conference to be affected by the expansion. Conference commissioner Jim Phillips recently discussed the decision to add the California Golden Bears, Stanford Cardinals, and SMU Mustangs, saying:

"It really is a transformational day for the ACC. I can tell you when we left that call today, everybody was in a really good place and felt really good about the process. ... We've gone from regional-based conferences to national, coast-to-coast conferences. Either you get busy or you get left behind." [h/t NBC Bay Area]

While the conference previously rejected a vote to expand, that changed earlier this month. The Golden Bears and Cardinals agreed to accept only 30% of their share of the revenue, while the Mustangs agreed to forego their full revenue share.