Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sport
Mike McDaniel

Report: UNC Brass Discussed Potential ‘Super Conference’

View the original article to see embedded media.

According to a report from Andrew Carter of The News & Observer, university leadership at North Carolina floated the idea of a “super conference” between the ACC and Pac-12 amidst the decision by UCLA and USC this summer to spurn the Pac-12 for the Big Ten beginning in 2024.

The News & Observer obtained text messages amongst UNC brass via a public records request, as school decisionmakers discussed the future of the Tar Heels’ athletics program.

“Should we explore a partnership with the Big 12 or Pac 12[?]” UNC athletic director Bubba Cunningham texted university chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz.

“We could have a super conference both athletically and academically,” Guskiewicz responded. “Probably would need to be called the Atlantic-Pacific Athletic Conference (APAC). Maybe that’s crazy, but if it would get us a better TV deal, it may be worth considering,” he continued.

“We need to think about what outcomes we want? What are our priorities? Do we want to maintain all teams in the ACC? Is this a new league? Do we want to have the same number of teams at each school? Should we play a national schedule or regional schedule?” Cunningham questioned.

With the future of college athletics, especially in football, in a state of transition and uncertainty, the ACC clearly refuses to stand idly by. There is no doubt that similar discussions to those happening at North Carolina are happening in athletic departments across the ACC as schools wonder what’s next.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.