North Carolina Tar Heels: Best fit if UNC leaves the ACC
Which conference would best fit the North Carolina Tar Heels if they ultimately elect to leave the Atlantic Coast Conference?
The talk about current Atlantic Coast Conference programs seems to be heating up, as the North Carolina Tar Heels are among what is being called “The Magnificent 7,” the schools that have been part of the early conversations regarding the possibility.
As these schools make an effort to potentially break the league’s grant of rights to go elsewhere in college football’s next wave of conference realignment, what would this mean for the future of the University of North Carolina, particularly the UNC football program?
Brad Crawford of 247Sports recently held discussions with industry sources to see which conference would best fit each ACC program. For the Tar Heels, Crawford believes that the Big Ten would make the most sense:
"What we’re hearing: Last summer when conference expansion within the Big Ten hit a fever pitch with the additions of USC and UCLA, the two most talked-about programs who could be next were UNC and Notre Dame. The Tar Heels are well-positioned in the expansion era to choose where they want to go if they’re able to get out of this ACC situation. UNC often places high annually in the Learfield Director’s Cup standings, which grades success across all sports. Multiple sources have told 247Sports the Big Ten would love to creep into the Carolinas and expand its geographic footprint further South. The UNC men’s basketball program instantly would add intrigue to the conference as one of the nation’s best."
There would be plenty of benefits for North Carolina, as they would be well-sought after if they elect to leave the ACC. The Big Ten would benefit from the addition of the Tar Heels, as they could expand geographically further South. This, along with the additions of USC and UCLA, the Big Ten would be more spread out, as conference schools would compete across the country on various occasions.
This is certainly a storyline to keep an eye on, as the North Carolina Tar Heels could potentially be looking for a new conference over the next few years.
If that’s the case, the Big Ten would be a very enticing option for the Tar Heels.
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