That NCSU didn't "flip" their vote because there was never an actual vote on expansion until it passed, and that NCSU's objections to expansion were addressed. Even some horse trading on an AAU support for NCSU from Duke, Pitt, Miami, UVA, Pitt, GT, Stan, Cal, and ND was rumored. Plus SMU coming in for no media money for 7 years was quite the bonus. Also, there was a group of schools against the "success initiative" if it meant that they will get less money than they were currently getting and that the new money from SMU/CAL/Stan should be used for that. Plus, a lot of lobbying by the founder of ISP (WFU alum), and the former chair of the UNC System Board of Governors (WFU grad/UNC law/UVA MBA). The ACC needs 14 fulltime members for the ACC-ESPN contract to remain in place, and the article stated that UNC-UVA were the 2 schools likely to join another conference while FSU would go independent, and that adding the 3 schools will guarantee that. If any other schools were to leave, then the next targets would be TCU and WVU in 2030 when the Big XII contract ends. There was also an appeal to keeping the conference power base in the NC area instead of Atlanta or Chicago.