The possibility of programs leaving the Atlantic Coast Conference continues to become more and more a reality as time goes on. With Monday’s news that seven teams have engaged in talks to get out of a contract, momentum seems to be picking up quickly.
The “Magnificient 7” consists of North Carolina, NC State, Miami, Florida State, Clemson, Virginia and Virginia Tech, leaving the conference with seven other schools and giving it a new look. But where would these schools eventually end up?
Brad Crawford of 247Sports broke down which conference is the best fit each of the seven programs. For North Carolina Crawford believes the Big Ten is a great fit:
Best fit if UNC leaves the ACC: Big Ten
What we’re hearing: Last summer when conference expansion within the Big Ten hit a fever pitch with the additions of USC and UCLA, the two most talked-about programs who could be next were UNC and Notre Dame. The Tar Heels are well-positioned in the expansion era to choose where they want to go if they’re able to get out of this ACC situation. UNC often places high annually in the Learfield Director’s Cup standings, which grades success across all sports. Multiple sources have told 247Sports the Big Ten would love to creep into the Carolinas and expand its geographic footprint further South. The UNC men’s basketball program instantly would add intrigue to the conference as one of the nation’s best.
The Big Ten would be a very interesting conference to join, especially with USC and UCLA now moving there. It would cover the entire country even more now, having UNC go to the West Coast and Midwest. It would also set up some fun matchups in both football and baseball.
Time will tell where the Tar Heels eventually end up but it certainly feels like things are moving in that direction.
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