When is the Earliest the Big 12 Could Seriously Pursue ACC Schools?

Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark cleared things up at media days earlier this month in regards to his "open for business" slogan.

“I just meant we’re going to explore every and all possibilities to reinvent and reimagine this conference. That’s what I meant. Because candidly, I came from the business side of sport, and that’s what we need to inject and infuse into this conference. It was somewhat taken out of context at the moment because we were going through realignment. When I mean open for business, I mean we are going to explore every and all possibilities to continue to grow our brand, to grow our profile, to grow our commercial business, to drive more value for our member institutions, and all that comes underneath open for business.”

While the "open for business" mindset may not be completely geared toward expansion, it's always going to be a part of the equation as power conferences try to continue strengthening their brand.

The reality is, the ACC isn't in a great place. The ACC's settlement with Clemson and Florida State opens the door for both institutions to depart the league as soon as 2030, when the exit fee drops to $75 million. Yesterday, a report surfaced from Inside Carolina that North Carolina is "exploring" a potential move to the SEC.

Once Clemson and Florida State start poking around other leagues, assuming they do that, others will follow suit. The other day, I wrote an article on which schools the Big 12 could target, including those from the ACC. The ones I mentioned were Louisville, SMU, and Pitt, but if the ACC blows up, then everyone becomes a possibility. Seeing Boston College, Miami, Pitt, Syracuse, and Virginia Tech - some of West Virginia's old Big East foes - in the Big 12 would be great for WVU and its East Coast partners, Cincinnati and UCF.

2030 is the year everyone will be watching. But the movement may take place beforehand, as it usually does. Schools typically have a deal in place to join a new league a year or two in advance before actually making the transition, meaning these next couple of summers should get really interesting as all eyes are on the big brands in the ACC.

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