Syracuse, Pittsburgh, apply to ACC

Big East conference members Syracuse and Pittsburgh have sent letters of application to the Atlantic Coast Conference, a high-ranking ACC source said today on condition of anonymity.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is reporting that Pittsburgh will join the ACC and could be announced as a new member as soon as today. The schools’ addition would have to be approved by nine of the 12 ACC presidents.

According to the ACC source, at least 10 schools have inquired about membership in the ACC.

The news comes amid other recent reports that show the college athletics landscape is shifting dramatically:

- Texas A&M is trying to leave the Big 12 for the SEC but has been slowed by legal challenges.

- The Austin American-Statesman reported that with the Big 12 in danger of dissolving, Texas is considering whether its best future destination is the Pac-12, ACC or independent status.

- According to the Palm Beach Post, Florida State is forming an exploratory committee to evaluate its future conference options.

The applications from Syracuse and Pittsburgh, though, appear to demonstrate that the ACC is on solid ground as conferences seem headed toward “superconference” status. The ACC source said ACC presidents recently showed their solidarity by increasing the exit fee for a school leaving the conference to $20 million from about $12 million to $14 million.

Ken Tysiac