Amid uncertainties looming around Pac-12 expansion, CFB insider claims Stanford and Cal "may never get votes" to join the ACC

Is Pac-12 expansion the only viable option left for Stanford and Cal? This is a question that needs to be answered in the coming days as the status of the two schools becomes ever more uncertain with the 2023 college football season days away.

Stanford and Cal have been pushing for a move to the ACC for weeks. On Friday, the move reached a dead end when the ACC Board of Presidents couldn't get the required votes to bring the schools on board. Against this background, college football columnist, Jim Williams, dropped a bombshell on his X (formerly Twitter) page:

“They may never get the votes. This has to end one way or another in the next few days."

Given the internal situation within the ACC, Williams' prognosis is hardly surprising. An ACC insider had hinted at the need to resolve some internal issues before considering expansion. However, with the college football season closing in, Stanford and Cal are running out of options.

Pac-12 expansion and other ways it might end for Stanford and Cal

As Williams rightly put it, “This has to end one way or another in the next few days.” The question is, how will it end? Stanford and Cal are unlikely to become members of the ACC. Perhaps, they could invest themselves in the Pac-12 expansion.

This option was even open before the Pac-12 had caved in. Even after it got reduced to just four members, talks of Pac-12 expansion still featured heavily around the conference's future. Old names long linked with the Pac-12 emerged again. Schools such as San Diego State and Southern Methodist University, among others, were listed as candidates for the Pac-12 expansion.

One of the biggest challenges will be the lack of commitment from the two California schools. However, with the ACC constantly failing to add the schools as members, they may finally get on board with the plan to expand the Pac-12.

Alternatively, instead of an outright expansion, partnering or merging with another conference could also happen. The Mountain West and the AAC are candidates. Or perhaps the Pac-12 will collapse and cease to exist for good. Only time will tell.