Ranking which ACC schools are most viable to join a “super conference”
By John Scimeca
3. Florida State
There’s not a ton of debate about which three ACC schools are the most desirable for the next super conference, although the Seminoles’ weak on-field results are surprising. FSU hasn’t fielded a winning team since 2018. The stretch from 2012 to 2016, though, resulted in 10+ wins each season, including the 2013 national title under then-head coach Jimbo Fisher (now at Texas A&M).
The fan support is there, the financial resources are clearly there, and the football history is storied — even a few bad years now from Florida State won’t keep it out of the ACC’s top three prestigious programs. Not yet, anyway.
2. Miami (Fla.)
The Hurricanes certainly have a cool vibe about them — is that just because they technically represent the city of Miami, Fla.? The program boasts five (!) national titles: 1983, 1987, 1989, 1991, and 2001 and has produced its fair share of all-time great players.
They haven’t won a ton since joining the ACC in 2004 from the Big East, but there was the 2017 squad under Mark Richt that finished 10-3. New head coach Mario Cristobal and the deep coffers of the school’s boosters (NIL deals, baby!) will keep Miami relevant on the national stage.
1. Clemson
The Tigers have the history, the large fan base, and the financial resources to trade blows with any college football heavyweight. The recent run of success from the past decade under head coach Dabo Swinney is the icing on the cake.
The program won the national title in 1981, 2016, and 2018, as the Tigers famously proved that they could go toe-to-toe and beat the nation’s other great teams like Alabama.
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Given the recent success of the Clemson football team and the rapidly changing world of conference realignment, it’s difficult at this point to see the Tigers complacent to remain in the ACC until 2036.