The Big 12 is rumored to be in talks with several top ACC schools

The Big 12 just wrapped up its annual media days in Las Vegas, but that's not the only reason they've been in the news.

The Big 12 has also been rumored to be making bold moves behind the scenes to establish itself as a “Power 3” conference along with the Big Ten and SEC. College football radio host Greg Swaim claimed this week that the Big 12 is targeting FSU, Clemson and four other ACC schools.

Swaim explained, “FSU and Clemson will not receive a Big Ten bid, because they are not AAU accredited.” He added: “The talk in Vegas is that the SEC has now rejected the pair. With the new sponsorship, the Big 12 may not pay as much as the other two, but with those two they will pay double what the ACC does.

UPDATE: The Big 12 is in “early conversations” with Florida State and Clemson, according to Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports.

The Big 12 would likely use private equity money to pay FSU and Clemson more than the rest of the Big 12 schools. pic.twitter.com/8dzfGalUnV

— Spark College Football (@SparkCFB) July 10, 2024

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Swaim also mentioned that the Big 12 plans to expand by adding six ACC schools, which may include Miami, Louisville, UNC and Duke. Such a theoretical move would significantly raise the Big 12's profile and decimate the ACC, which, like the Big 12, is desperate to stay relevant.

Many other analysts have suggested that if UNC and Duke do make a move, it will be to the Big Ten, which makes a lot more sense on several levels, but mostly from an academic standpoint.

For the Big 12, however, the priority should be adding FSU and Clemson, as it would give the conference more firepower with big brands and recent champions.

Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark declared at media day Tuesday, “I'm not going to stop until we're the No. 1 conference in America,” and these bold moves would certainly be a step in that direction.

Again, this is all hearsay at this point, but if true, it would help stave off the Big 12's irrelevance and turn it into a legitimate power conference.

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