Breathing Fresh Life Into The ACC

With Florida State and Clemson filing lawsuits against the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), I suspect it won't be long before the two universities move on from the conference. If this is the road we head down, I suspect many of the remaining member universities will follow, including but not limited to UNC, Duke, and NC State, three schools synonymous with the ACC. 

For some context, the lawsuits Florida State and Clemson have filed against the ACC concern the conference's grant of rights and the enforceability of its withdrawal fees. Clemson and Florida State believe the withdrawal fees are unreasonable and have decided to get the courts involved. Regardless of what the courts say, the relationship between the universities and the conference is in shambles, and as soon as the Seminoles and Tigers can get out, they will. 

Back to the main point, with the emergence of Super Conferences and the idea of several ACC teams leaving for "Greener Pastures," I'm going to speculate a plausible solution for the ACC so that they do not end up like the PAC-12.

I can sit here and speculate who I believe will make their leave for another conference within the next few years, but I won't because it is just speculation. What I can do is list a few teams that would possibly make the conference more fun than it is today. 

If I were the ACC, the first team I'd go after is Appalachian State. Since making the leap to the FBS level in 2014, the Mountaineers have had nothing but winning seasons, and in five of those seasons (half of the number of seasons they've been in the FBS), they have won ten or more games and have found a great amount of success in the postseason, winning seven bowl games.

The next team I'm targeting is the Memphis Tigers. They already give the ACC a good run for their money with a record of 33-48-1 against ACC teams. With FedEx stepping up to the plate and providing the Tigers with $25m and a new stadium, they'd make a good addition. Since joining the American Conference in 2013, the Tigers have been in the AP Poll in five seasons, getting as high as 16th. 

While they are hot, the ACC would be stupid not to consider James Madison. They are arguably the best college football team in Virginia at the moment, and I don't see that title being taken away from them any time soon. Curt Cignetti is building something special in Harrisonburg, and any conference with JMU in it is better for it. 

The last school I will touch up on that the ACC should target is Liberty. After a wildly successful season last year and participating in an NY6 Bowl Game in just their sixth season at the FBS level, the Flames have proven they belong in a better conference than the CUSA. Looking at the rest of the CUSA, I don't see how that conference will be sustainable for much longer in this new era of college football. Liberty could be to the CUSA what Oklahoma was to the Big XII and go on to win 50 Conference Titles if no teams leave or come in over the next 49 seasons. 

Other teams that would be fun to join the ACC that I won't get into are Tulsa (bring in that oil money), South Florida, Florida Atlantic, ECU, Charlotte, Coastal Carolina, Marshall, and Georgia State. 

Again, I don't know what will happen with the ACC over the next few seasons. What I do know is that it's not looking good for the conference. Teams synonymous with the ACC appear to be looking for a way out, but just because teams may be leaving doesn't mean the conference can't be fun and competitive. ​