I’ve reported for over a year that the ACC is interested in USF and that the conference is preparing to lose some schools in the next round of realignment. The ACC knows what’s coming. By 2031, some schools will be gone. But unlike the Big 12, which didn’t see it coming when Oklahoma and Texas left for the SEC—or the Pac-12 when USC and UCLA bolted for the Big Ten—the conference is well aware of which members want out. The revenue gap is a canyon, and the Big Ten and SEC are pulling with real gravity. But the ACC isn’t panicking about the next two years. The strategy is about the next two decades so the VC investment they want now will pay off in the post 2036 What the ACC is pitching to VC firms is a vision of what the conference could become in the next era: a coast‑to‑coast, academically aligned, modern league built around schools willing to stay together. Boston College, Stanford, Cal, Duke, Georgia Tech, SMU, Pitt, Syracuse, Wake Forest, NC State, maybe Louisville, and either Virginia Tech or Virginia could be enticed by a cash infusion now to stick it out until 2036, when a major payday awaits. The ACC is also eyeing additions like USF, UConn, Memphis, Tulane, San Diego State, Boise State, UNLV, and Army and Navy for football. These aren’t Clemson, Florida State, Miami, or North Carolina, but each brings something the conference can use to stay in the Power 4 conversation. This is still a league with a national footprint, real institutional heft, and strong academic brands. It finally reflects where college athletics is heading, not where it used to be. The Irish Stays with the ACC Notre Dame says in Olympic sports and would be given the choice of which five ACC schools to schedule in football. That would be Pitt, Stanford, Army, Navy, Georgia Tech, Duke, Boston College, and USF, which would make up the likely rotation, since the Irish have a long history of playing each of them. Streamers Are Lurking, Rights Are Shifting Amazon, Apple, YouTube—they want more than games. They want national windows, diverse time zones, and educated, spendy audiences. The ACC checks every box. Now DAZN’s at the table, eyeing a shot at American college football. The ACC is the on-ramp: national schedule, academic profile, advertiser appeal. That’s a streaming-friendly slate, with enough market diversity to keep Scripps, CW, WBD Sports, and Fox happy and interested. It’s a league that fits both the future and the present—a rare thing in this business. The Post-2036 Bet The ACC’s VC push isn’t a desperation move. It’s a positioning play. The goal is to be the first major conference built for a streaming world, the last big rights prize before 2040. Invest now, stabilize now, go digital in 2037, and the ACC believes it can come out of the post-ESPN era stronger than anyone expects. This isn’t about hanging on. It’s about being first through the next open door. ____________________________________ Jim Williams is not a top tier realignment news reporter, and he is a pro USF guy. So no wonder he views the Big 12 PE deal as a good omen for USF. Having said that, I think he does have some connections with ACC insiders. I don't exactly follow his logic, but I believes this is what he's saying: 1) The ACC gets VC money 2) With the money, minimize the Gap and the number of defects to keep the conference together 3) Backfill with G5 schools (USF!) after some schools leave 4) Get a streaming deal post 2037. I guess this is a possible outcome, although you know I believe the ACC will target the B12 schools in 2030