It’s time for the ACC to get in on the conference expansion fun. If you’ve been following along with us, you know that in previous articles I’ve thrown some ideas out there. I am going to recap what those ideas are and show you what a new look ACC would look like and why it makes sense. Notre Dame is going to be included in this model.
ACC Atlantic
The current Atlantic Division in the ACC is made up of the following teams:
Boston College
Wake Forrest
NC State
Louisville
Clemson
Syracuse
Florida State
Making The Case
Florida State and Clemson have inquired about moving to the SEC. For now, we are going to keep them in the ACC model. Louisville has no business being in the ACC and should move to the SEC. It wouldn’t be pretty right away, but it makes the most sense. For reasonings for this, click here. Notre Dame for all other school sports play in the ACC Atlantic. That would be the addition to counter the Louisville subtraction.
But we aren’t done yet. In this projection, we are adding Rutgers and Army. If Rutgers is truly interested in getting back in the mix, the BIG 10 is not the right conference to be in. It’s way too loaded with talent. Rutgers went 3-5 in the COVID year which is really isn’t that bad for them. There are some other factors that could make this work which you can find here. Army is a solid team in the New York area which fits in the ACC proximity. The military academies should join the Power 5 sooner or later. Why push it off any longer? One other team that should get consideration is Appalachian State. They have a history of winning in the Sun Belt and are already in ACC territory. This should not be a hard sell.
ACC Coastal
The current teams make up the Coastal Division in the ACC:
Virginia Tech
Pittsburgh
Virginia
Duke
Georgia Tech
Miami
UNC
Making The Case
Let’s just be real here. Duke football has no business being in the ACC or anywhere. But we have to keep them in for basketball purposes, ugh. Two teams are being added here too. Those teams are Penn State and Coastal Carolina. Yup, I’m talking about those Chanticleers. Those are the surf turf rooster people if you have no idea what that word is. Penn State is going to have a very hard time getting back in the mix in the BIG 10 unless Ohio State and Wisconsin drop off the face of the earth. Just like with Rutgers, Army, and Coastal Carolina for that matter, the proximity fits. Penn State adds legit competition just like Notre Dame would for the big dog, or tiger it this case, Clemson. For more on Penn State joining the ACC, click here.
Now let’s talk about Coastal Carolina. They have proven to be a pretty good squad. Too good to be wasting in the Sun Belt. This is a prime example of the ACC getting better with the addition of a team. However, I must mention that this would be strictly a football move if that is possible. They can play people, they can really play. You can find more points about this here, but it is important to note that Coastal Carolina is just as good if not better than the current ACC teams except for Clemson, Miami, and UNC. If they actually get into the ACC, it won’t take long to overtake the Canes and the Tar Heels. Clemson will be the biggest battle along with Notre Dame if they finally join a conference full time. We’ll probably need some luck of the Irish for that to happen though.
Final Thoughts And Wrap Up
So, to bring it all back together, let’s look at the new ACC in full:
Atlantic: Boston College, Wake Forest, NC State, Clemson Syracuse, Florida State, Notre Dame, Rutgers, Army, Appalachian State
Coastal: Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh, Virginia, Duke, Georgia Tech, Miami, UNC, Penn State, Coastal Carolina
This looks so much better from a talent and competition standpoint. It also makes a lot of sense geographically. Coastal Carolina and Appalachian State would probably benefit the most from a recruiting perspective. Obviously Clemson will still be the favorites until somebody knocks them off the pedestal and rightfully so. This is a conference that college football fans should be able to get behind. Nittany Lions and Tigers and Chanticleers, oh my!
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