CFB insider proposes plan B for Stanford and Cal after ACC board members couldn't flip votes  

Stanford and Cal could reportedly have a backup plan should they not get enough support to join the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Both schools have been vying to join the ACC for weeks but did not get enough support. However, Stanford and Cal were persistent and said that they would take little to no media rights payouts for the first few years.

That reportedly changed the tune of some schools, and it does seem likely that Stanford and Cal could get enough support to join the ACC. However, if they still don't, there's reportedly a backup plan, according to CFB insider Jim Williams.

"If things fall through with the ACC and Stanford, Cal & SMU, the PAC 4 would look at the American to quickly add members.

"This is a long shot to be sure, but SMU, Rice, Tulane, USF and Memphis (maybe Tulsa) seem to keep showing up on the short list. The question would remain would not make more sense for the PAC 4 to just join the American?"

The Pac-12 has been trying to stay as a conference since losing eight of their 12 schools. There have been talks about merging with the Mountain West or American.

Should the Pac-12 merge with the AAC, the conference would likely remain a Power 5. That's crucial for Stanford, who wish to continue playing Power 5 football.

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Will Stanford and Cal get into the ACC?

Stanford and Cal were expected to be formally voted into the ACC this week, but the shooting at the UNC campus forced the ACC to postpone the vote.

Before the vote was postponed, multiple reporters claimed that it was trending in the right direction for Stanford and Cal to join the ACC.

However, the vote won't take place before ACC commissioner Jim Phillips knows they have 12 yes votes, as the commissioner was pushing hard on North Carolina and NC State to switch their vote to yes.

Adding Stanford and Cal is a bit of insurance should Florida State and Clemson leave the conference. If the ACC falls below 15 members, ESPN can renegotiate their media rights deal.