Stanford is one of the best universities in the entire world, has produced as many Olympians as any American university and wins more national championships in those sports than anyone, is located in one of the nation's premier media markets. Cal isn't far behind in any of those metrics.
And yet both schools are effectively in no-man's land after this upcoming football season.
The Big Ten passed an opportunity to add both universities. The Big 12 and Cal and Stanford did not move on each other out of mutual interest. And so now those two Bay Area stalwarts might join... the Atlantic Coast Conference.
ESPN reported Tuesday that the ACC held an "exploratory" call on Cal and Stanford, where the conversation likely concluded that the Golden Bears and the Cardinal would be excellent fits in every aspect except the obvious one.
Sources: ACC Presidents met this morning for exploratory call on Cal and Stanford. As expected, no vote was taken. The league is “still evaluating” the potential decision.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) August 8, 2023
Aside from geography, it's difficult to imagine Cal and Stanford making financial sense. As current members of a Power 5 conference, they would enter as "pro rata" members, meaning ESPN would pay them an equal share to current ACC membership, but it's difficult to see how they would grow the pie enough to keep Florida State (and likely others) from trying to leave.
Elsewhere, Yahoo! reported the Mountain West has held calls about the possibility of either absorbing the Pac-4 or merging and taking on the Pac-12 name.
"I would say this in the Mountain West Conference, if we all would stay together and not be fooled into thinking there’s something greater out there and joining a Power 5 league because the Pac-12, no matter who they add, is not going to be an Autonomous 5 league for very long," Wyoming AD Tom Burman told the Casper Star-Tribune over the weekend. "It’s clear and everybody around the country is talking about that. It’s just a matter of time and that will change its financial model dramatically, in my opinion, speaking for Tom Burman. So, I think that’s clear. We all need to stay together. The four along the Front Range and Utah State need to stay together."
Yahoo! also reported the American could try to add some or all of the Pac-4, or that the Pac-4 could try to add some American schools, given that their exit fees are less of an obstacle to join in time for the 2024 football season than the Mountain West's $34 million fee.
So, for those scoring at home, arguably the nation's top all-around university could find itself talking its way into the ACC, or it could pick up AAC schools simply because they're cheaper than the MW alternative.
College sports, everybody.
Stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.