The Clemson football team may go through the 2019 season without beating an opponent ranked inside the top-25, which could prompt the ACC to make changes.
The chief complaint when it comes to Clemson football is the fact that the Tigers play in the ACC.
Though Clemson dominates teams from outside the conference all the time, analysts- and the CFB Playoff committee, for that matter- believe the ACC is ‘less than’ when comparing it to the rest of the Power-5.
Though the ACC has had some good years and currently has some programs potentially on the rise, there’s no doubting that the conference has been down this season.
Other than Clemson football, the ACC has not had one team consistently inside the top-25. Traditional powerhouses like Florida State, Miami and even Virginia Tech have struggled this year and the media has taken notice.
As we move towards the future, it certainly stands to reason that the ACC could consider adding two more programs- one to the Atlantic Division and one to the Coastal Division- to positively impact its perception in the future.
If certain programs- like FSU, Miami, Virginia Tech and NC State- could return to prominence, and the conference could add a couple more quality programs, there’s a chance that the Power-5 league could become one of the most difficult conferences in the country, with Clemson football leading the way.
It’s not going to happen overnight, but here are five programs the ACC could strongly consider adding in the future.
5. Memphis
Memphis, like a couple of others on our list, is a program on the rise.
Though Memphis is further away from the Atlantic Coast than most would like- after all it is in the central time zone- the school is still close enough in proximity to make sense.
With this addition, the ACC would be expanding its conference footprint further west, but not westward enough to get into traditional Big 12 territory.
Because Memphis is a program on the rise, the ACC would be getting a hot brand that would also make for a fun trip every other year for Clemson football fans, should they be added to the Atlantic Division.
The Tigers have been consistently inside the top-25 for the past few years and that’s only expected to continue to rise over the course of the next few seasons.
4. West Virginia
West Virginia was considered a favorite to join the ACC a few years ago when the Mountaineers were looking to leave the Big East.
Instead of joining the ACC, though, West Virginia ended up in the Big 12 and it still doesn’t make sense.
West Virginia is more than 1,100 miles from the Big 12 conference headquarters (Irving, Texas) and the Mountaineers make numerous trips well over 1,000 miles ever year to play road games against the likes of teams in the Midwest.
Joining the ACC wouldn’t just make sense for the Mountaineers in terms of football, but also for the other sports that don’t necessarily have the luxury of flying for every away game. West Virginia would give the ACC a solid football power and give us some exciting traditional Big East matchups, against teams like Pittsburgh and Syracuse.
3. UCF
UCF is a sleeping giant and it may be the time to jump on the program now.
Central Florida had a legitimate argument to be considered for the CFB Playoff just a couple of seasons ago and the Knights have been consistently one of the top Group of Five programs in the nation.
UCF is slowly becoming a competitive program nationally and adding that school and its’ resources to the ACC- not just for football, but for athletics in general- would be a huge move for the conference.
The Knights will likely be looking to make the jump to Power-Five over the next few years to give themselves an even better recruiting advantage- by the way, they’re in a recruiting hotbed in the state of Florida- and this could be a solid opponent to add to the conference and strengthen its perception.
2. Appalachian State
Perhaps the only program rising at faster pace in the Group of 5 on the east coast than UCF is Appalachian State.
Honestly, adding Appalachian State may not add to the perception of the conference right now, but the Mountaineers are one of the highest-trending programs in the nation.
That coaching job is only going to get hotter and recruiting is becoming much easier. Appalachian State has taken huge steps forward during this 2019 season, beating the likes of South Carolina and UNC, and the Mountaineers are in the mix for a New Year’s Six bowl, though it’s likely they’ll fall just short.
Appalachian State makes senses in terms of geography and the trending nature of its fanbase and program would be a nice ‘early pickup’ for the ACC.
1. Notre Dame
If the conference ever does choose to expand, this is the absolute ‘must-have.’ Notre Dame got exactly what it wanted in its last deal with the ACC.
The Fighting Irish gave the ACC its other athletic programs, but got to keep its football team as an Independent. Though they’re an independent, the ACC gave Notre Dame several games per year to fill its schedule.
The ACC made that lopsided deal with one goal in mind: To add Notre Dame as a full-time member of the conference in the future. And it needs to happen.
Having the likes of Clemson, Notre Dame, Florida State and a plethora of other solid programs in your conference would absolutely create a better perception of the ACC. Of course, the Seminoles have to find a way to get back to prominence and that certainly could take a few years.
Either way, this is a program that needs to be added to the mix in terms of football. Notre Dame’s prestige- whether you like them or not- is undeniable and it would give Clemson football a viable resume-builder.
I wouldn’t expect conference expansion to happen in the near future, but it’s certainly something that should be on the radar of the ACC. The way the College Football landscape is trending, adding more teams to the Power-5 is inevitable and we can expect the ACC to be a part of it when it does, indeed, happen.