SMU was among three teams which went to the ACC this year. It is yet another school which leaves the Group of Five conferences and heads to the Power Four.
Here’s a look at SMU’s situation and what it means for the college football realignment landscape.
Cal, Stanford, And SMU Moving To The ACC
ACC school presidents voted in 2023 to add SMU, Stanford, and Cal to the conference for this year. All three schools reportedly won’t receive full ACC revenue shares for nine years.
SMU announced it raised $100 million in just seven days to help support its transition to the ACC.
That money will prove critical because of the funds it’s losing out on as the athletic department makes the transition to its new league. The program also publicized that media coverage of the ACC move produced over $163 million in advertising revenue in a mere three days.
SMU-ACC Football Record
SMU was 16-18 against the teams which were in the ACC going into this year. The Mustangs went 11-1 during their first regular season in the conference with an 8-0 mark against league opponents.
Boston College, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami, N.C. State, North Carolina, Pitt, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Wake Forest were the teams in the ACC last year.
Some of those schools have reportedly shared disinterest in adding other schools. Florida State, for example, has expressed frustration about the ACC’s media deal and a possible desire to go to another conference.
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What Conference Was SMU In?
SMU had been a member of the AAC since 2013 but has long been regarded as another team which might go to the Power Four.
SMU, which was previously in Conference USA, positioned itself as the next G5 school to move on after Houston, UCF, and Cincinnati went to the Big 12.
SMU ended the 2023 season 11-3 overall after winning the AAC Championship against Tulane and losing to Boston College in the Fenway Bowl.
ACC Media Deal
The ACC’s media deal netted each program about $40 million in 2021-22, according to Yahoo Sports. The deal is set to expire in 2036.
In comparison, the media deals for the Big Ten and SEC both give over $50 million to each school.
