ACC Announces Alliance With Big 10, Pac-12
GREENSBORO, N.C. - The Atlantic Coast Conference has formally announced an "Inter-Conference Scheduling Alliance" with the Big 10 Conference and Pac-12 Conference, the league announced Tuesday in a joint press release.
ACC commissioner Jim Phillips, Big 10 commissioner Kevin Warren and Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff will work together on various topics relating to collegiate athletics, such as student-athlete mental and physical health, future structure of the NCAA and federal legislative effort.
The alliance also carries a strong scheduling component in football, as well as men's and women's basketball. The football side of things will "feature additional attractive matchups across the three conferences", while in basketball, they will "add early and mid-season games as well as annual events that feature premier matchups between the three leagues".
According to the leagues, the scheduling portion of the alliance will start "as soon as practical while honoring current contractual obligations". A working group consisting of athletic directors from all three conferences will oversee this process, and they will also explore opportunities within Olympic sports.
“The ACC, Big Ten and Pac-12 recognize the unique environment and challenges currently facing intercollegiate athletics, and we are proud and confident in this timely and necessary alliance that brings together like-minded institutions and conferences focused on the overall educational missions of our preeminent institutions,” Phillips said. “The alliance will ensure that the educational outcomes and experiences for student-athletes participating at the highest level of collegiate athletics will remain the driving factor in all decisions moving forward.”
The move is seen as a direct counterpunch to the Southeastern Conference's addition of Texas and Oklahoma last month. The Longhorns and Sooners accepted the SEC's invitation back on July 30, which will begin in 2025, and The Athletic reported on Aug. 14 that the ACC, Big 12 and Pac-12 were in "high-level discussions" regarding forming an alliance.
This is a win-win situation for all three conferences, including their member universities. This move keeps the ACC, Big 10 and Pac-12 on par with the SEC in the grand scheme of college football, and could ensure the SEC does not take a stranglehold on the College Football Playoff. It also significantly benefits men's and women's basketball, and potentially non-revenue generating sports.
Not only will this bolster the strength of schedule for potential national championship contenders, but it has the opportunity to create exciting new matchups and rivalries that would benefit multiple sports. Who wouldn't want to watch Ohio State-USC in football, Louisville-UCLA in men's basketball or Stanford-NC State in women's basketball?
(Photo of Jim Phillips: Associated Press)
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