Three ACC Programs That Will Make For The Best Rivlas For Stanford In The Future
Stanford is currently in the midst of their last season as a member of the Pac-12, and unless the Mountain West takes the Pac-12 name which they may try to do, the conference will cease to exist after this season.
Stanford, Cal, and SMU are off to the ACC, which means for the two Pac-12 programs that they and the other six departing members are facing off for the last time. This likely means we will no longer see great matchups between Stanford and foes like USC, Oregon, UCLA, and Washington. So, for Stanford, while they will still play Cal and Notre Dame, they will be in the market for a third program to develop a mutual hatred with.
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While many people question if there is even room for one of these ACC programs to add another rival and why they would even care there can always be a case. That is why I decided to break down three programs that I think Stanford could become rivals with.
Obviously, Stanford likely will never become the primary rival for these programs and vice versa, but that doesn't eliminate the storylines in the making.
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North Carolina
North Carolina has to be potential rival No. 1 simply because of their public denouncing of Stanford joining the conference. Their Women's soccer coach quite literally said that he wanted Stanford and Cal to "die on the vine". Not to mention, they were one of the four programs that avidly voted against their entry. Aside from not wanting Stanford to join, North Carolina is also one of the most successful athletic departments in the country. With Stanford having the most titles, North Carolina actually has the eighth most in the country so in just about every sport they face one another they are likely fielding teams that are at or near the top of that respective sport.
Stanford leads the all-time football series 2-1 last playing in 2016.
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Duke
Duke as a rival to Stanford just makes too much sense when you consider how similar they are to one another. While both fan bases would likely disagree with that, to generalize the two programs, they are both private institutions that are top-rated academically and also excel athletically. Duke ranks as the No. 10 school in the country academically with a 5.9% acceptance rate, while Stanford ranks No. 3 with a 3.9% acceptance rate. Duke ranks No. 38 in titles as an athletic department, and for the most part, they and Stanford go after a lot of the same recruits in most sports.
Stanford leads the all-time football series 3-1 last playing in 2012.
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Florida State
This may seem like a reach, but again this isn't about Stanford becoming any of these programs' main rivals but one that everyone knows when they play there's something there. Stanford is the most successful of the three new programs and Florida State is the cream of the crop in the ACC right now, so a little bit of old vs. new is the appeal here. Florida State is the USC in the ACC, as they want more revenue than everyone else and are threatening to leave the conference.
While they won't admit it, having even more access to California helps them in recruiting, and the same goes for Stanford in Florida, so there will be times when they collide on the recruiting trail. Not to mention, one of their best players in program history, Jameis Winston, has gone on record and said that he nearly chose Stanford over Florida State, and in looking back sounds like parts of him wish he did. When Stanford is able to return to the success they once had, matchups against Florida State will be must-watch. Many people don't realize that Stanford is one of the most-watched teams in college football, as is Florida State. This could be a marquee matchup every year that the ACC would love to promote if Stanford is able to return to their success.
These two teams have yet to meet in football.
