Stanford, Cal and SMU to join Atlantic Coast Conference

Stanford, Cal and SMU to join Atlantic Coast Conference



CNN
 — 

The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is expanding to 18 schools with the addition of Stanford, Southern Methodist University (SMU) and the University of California-Berkeley, after a vote by the conference’s board of directors on Friday.

In a statement, the conference announced the schools would be members with full voting privileges starting from July 2024 – SMU will officially join in July 2024 and Stanford and Cal will do so the following month. They will begin competing in the ACC from the start of the 2024/25 academic year.

Stanford and California’s departure from the Pac-12 leaves the 108-year-old conference with just two remaining members – Oregon State and Washington State.

“We are thrilled to welcome three world class institutions to the ACC, and we look forward to having them compete as part of our amazing league,” said ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips.

Atlantic Coast Conference commissioner Jim Phillips speaks during an NCAA college football news conference in Charlotte, North Carolina, on July 20, 2022.

He later continued: “Cal, SMU and Stanford will be terrific members of the ACC and we are proud to welcome their student-athletes, coaches, staff and entire campus community, alumni and fans.”

“We are very pleased with the outcome, which will support the best interests of our student-athletes and aligns with Berkeley’s values,” said University of California-Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ.

“We are confident that the ACC and its constituent institutions are an excellent match for our university and will provide an elite competitive context for our student-athletes in this changing landscape of intercollegiate athletics.”

<div data-uri="cms.cnn.com/_components/video-resource/instances/h_d25b9a4ccb9c5707e3cce3b79193690f-h_ccd00ff02a189de5d9bba209728ce349-paragraph_14EA33C4-7CAF-A0AE-4822-5164CF85782A@published" data-component-name="video-resource" data-editable="settings" class="video-resource" data-fixed-ratio="16×9" data-video-id="sports/2023/08/31/college-football-landscape-changing-forever-spt-intl.cnn" data-live="" data-analytics-aggregate-events="true" data-custom-experience="" data-asset-type="" data-medium-env="prod" data-autostart="false" data-show-ads="true" data-source="CNN" data-featured-video="true" data-headline="College football's landscape — and game — are changing forever" data-description="CNN Sport's Andy Scholes takes a look at how college football's landscape, conferences and structure are changing forever." data-duration="02:30" data-source-html='<span class="video-resource__source"> – Source:
<a href="https://www.cnn.com/" class="video-resource__source-url">CNN</a>
</span>' data-fave-thumbnails='{"big": { "uri": "https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/230831104758-03-college-football-season-2023.jpg?c=16×9&q=h_540,w_960,c_fill" }, "small": { "uri": "https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/230831104758-03-college-football-season-2023.jpg?c=16×9&q=h_540,w_960,c_fill" } }' data-vr-video="" data-show-html="” data-byline-html=”” data-check-event-based-preview=”” data-network-id=”” data-details=””>

PASADENA, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 19: Austin Jones #6 of the USC Trojans runs with the ball as he is chased by Grayson Murphy #12 of the UCLA Bruins at Rose Bowl on November 19, 2022 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

College football’s landscape — and game — are changing forever

02:30

– Source:
CNN

SMU President R. Gerald Turner added, “This is a transformational day for SMU. Becoming a member of the ACC will positively impact all aspects of the collegiate experience on the Hilltop and will raise SMU’s profile on a national level.”

“Stanford welcomes the invitation extended by the ACC member universities, and we are excited to join them beginning in 2024,” said Stanford University President Richard P. Saller.

“Student-athletes come to Stanford to pursue their highest academic and athletic potential, and joining the ACC gives us the ability to continue offering them that opportunity at a national level.”

administrator

Related Articles