Pitt and Syracuse to join the ACC

By Kevin Kelley -

ACCThe Pittsburgh Panthers and the Syracuse Orange have both applied to and been accepted as new members of the ACC, the conference announced today. The addition brings the ACC to a total of 14 schools.

Pittsburgh and Syracuse will each have to pay a $5 million dollar exit fee for leaving the Big East. In addition, Big East by-laws state that schools who leave the conference must provide 27 months’ notice.

However, lawyers for both schools are expected to negotiate that time frame down. Otherwise they couldn’t begin ACC play until the 2014 football season.

Various reports have also indicated that Texas and Texas Tech could move to the ACC. There are also rumors that current Big East schools Connecticut and Rutgers could apply to the conference.

For now, the ACC is at 14 schools and could very likely end up at 16. Both scenarios mean that the ACC will probably realign and change their division names. Currently the divisions are Atlantic and Coastal, but they could become a more geographical North and South.

It also means that the ACC’s future football schedules will change. When the conference expanded to 12 with the addition of Boston College and Miami (FL), the format was set through the 2015 season.

It remains to be seen what this announcement means for the future of the Big East. The conference is now down to seven football schools, which includes the addition of TCU in 2012. If Rutgers and UConn were to move to the ACC, it would almost certainly be the end of the Big East as a football conference.

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Comments (7)

Everyone calls the SEC poachers for taking A&M but look what conference seems to steal teams all the time……BC, VT, Miami, Pitt and Syracuse. Anyone left in the Big East? WVU better hope the SEC comes calling soon.

ACC how about taking TCU get in on the fort worth market. Don’t leave poor TCU hung out to dry again like in 1995 with the SWC.

There is going to be no one left in the Big East, this is ridiculous! They ought to just break it up now and spread out the teams that are left! This is not right and not fair to the teams that are now stuck in the Big East. And now asking for $20million to leave, should have changed that before Pitt and Syracuse decided to leave. USF needs to look to get out of there before WVU leaves!

I think U.S.F. and West Virginia sould go to the S.E.C. and for Big 12 Missouri,Iowa State ,Kansas ,& Kansas State should go to the Big 10 Before the Hammer falls on the big 12 . Ifthe S.E.C. Will not take W.V. & U.S.F.or the Big 10 doesn’t wont the othere 4 I said earlier W.V. & U.S.F. should go to The Big 10 .