ACC rumored to align with Big 12 baiting two teams from Brett Yormark's powerhouse in exchange for Pac-12 member programs

The names of two important conferences, the Big 12 and the ACC appear in the most recent trends in conference realignment. Things are heating up, and the ACC is looking for a quick way out of the stalemate to add Stanford and Cal. According to circulating rumors, this exit strategy may entail a deal between it and the Big 12.

The supposed bargain would see the Pac-4 schools, including Stanford and Cal, hitherto coveted by the ACC, heading to the Big 12. In exchange, the conference will release WVU and Kansas from their Grant of Rights agreement, allowing them to make their way to the ACC. That way, both conferences will achieve their expansion agendas in a cooperative rather than competitive manner.

How realistic is the ACC's rumored bargain with the Big 12?

Apart from being unfounded, there are several problems with the scenario described in this rumor. There were reports last week about the Big 12’s interest in inviting the rest of the Pac-12 schools. However, the same has been denied in other reports over the weekend. In other words, nothing at the moment indicates the conference’s interest in expanding further.

So far, it has added eight new members in the ongoing conference realignment window, four of those coming from the Pac-12. This brings its membership to sixteen by the start of the 2024 college football season. This is second only to the Big Ten, which will have 18 members by then.

Besides, it is bizarre to think the Big 12 will be willing to sacrifice WVU and Kansas in order to add the Pac-4 schools. If the conference is indeed interested in adding these schools, it could have simply approached them with an invitation. This, at least, it did with Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and Arizona State earlier in August.

Also, it makes no sense that the ACC will be backing out of adding Stanford and Cal. At least not now, when all it needs is just one more vote to reach the required amount. Say it even has the leverage to cede Stanford and Cal; what of Oregon State and Washington State? These two have never been considered by the conference for an invitation.

Washington State and Oregon State have leaned more towards the Mountain West Conference and the American Athletic Conference. It is therefore strange to imagine that the ACC will enter a bargain on their behalf when they have pitches from the MWC and the AAC coming up.