Sources: ACC ramps up Cal, Stanford, SMU talks
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Pete Thamel, ESPN
The ACC is again seriously considering the potential additions of Stanford, California and SMU, multiple sources told ESPN on Wednesday.
A series of meetings will be held this week to further vet and discuss different financial models that would come with the additions, sources said.
The inclusion of all three schools is being heavily discussed, in part, because they would come with significant financial concessions from each of the schools, according to sources. The conversations within the ACC this week revolved around how that additional money would be distributed among conference members.
A small group of ACC presidents met Wednesday morning to discuss different ways to divide that money, sources said. More meetings are expected this week to talk through the various ideas and models, but no determinations have been made yet on what that would look like, according to sources.
A vote of 12 of the 15 ACC schools is required to approve the additions, and just one new positive vote is needed among the block of four — North Carolina, NC State, Clemson and Florida State — that has indicated dissent against the move in prior meetings. (No formal vote has been taken.) One vote of those four is needed, assuming all of the “yes” votes are aligned with the financial model.
The timeline on a potential decision on whether to add all three schools is fluid, sources said, but the process is expected to play out over the next week. The flurry of meetings and the diving into details indicate momentum toward the additions happening, but sources cautioned the myriad complications that can come with realignment decisions.
The financial concessions from the three schools will create a pool of money, and the ACC presidents are having discussions on how it would be split. The mechanics of that are still to be worked out, sources said, including a performance pool for success initiatives.
SMU’s concessions are expected to be different from those of Stanford and Cal, including a willingness for the school to take no broadcast media revenue for the first seven years it is in the league, sources told ESPN. The concessions for Cal and Stanford will include taking a reduced share of the ACC payout, sources said; both schools are expected to receive the same reduced share.
The potential additions come at a time when the ACC has appeared increasingly fragmented. Florida State’s leadership has been vocal in recent weeks about needing more money to stay in the ACC, and Clemson’s leadership in recent months has publicly indicated a preference for a new financial model within the league.
The underlying frustration with the higher-end athletic programs in the league comes from the reality that their revenues will eventually fall nearly $30 million behind what schools in the SEC and the Big Ten are expected to make.
The ACC television contract with ESPN runs through 2036, a length of time that the league’s top programs fear would put them at a distinct financial disadvantage from their competitors in the Big Ten and the SEC.
The ACC would likely have a pool of tens of millions of dollars to potentially give the schools winning big in football a chance to close that gap. But sources cautioned just how that revenue is divided is a tricky issue among the 15 ACC schools. A portion of the money is also being considered to address the additional travel.
Hard-throwing rookie Jacob Misiorowski is a National League All-Star replacement, giving the Milwaukee Brewers right-hander a chance to break Paul Skenes‘ record for the fewest big league appearances before playing in the Midsummer Classic.
Misiorowski was named Friday night to replace Chicago Cubs lefty Matthew Boyd, who will be unavailable for the All-Star Game on Tuesday night in Atlanta because he is scheduled to start Saturday at the New York Yankees.
The 23-year-old Misiorowski has made just five starts for the Brewers, going 4-1 with a 2.81 ERA while averaging 99.3 mph on his fastball, with 89 pitches that have reached 100 mph.
If he pitches at Truist Park, Misiorowski will make it consecutive years for a player to set the mark for fewest big league games before an All-Star showing.
Skenes, the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander getting ready for his second All-Star appearance, had made 11 starts in the majors when he was chosen as the NL starter for last year’s All-Star Game at Texas. He pitched a scoreless inning.
“I’m speechless,” said a teary-eyed Misiorowski, who said he was given the news a few minutes before the Brewers’ 8-3 victory over Washington. “It’s awesome. It’s very unexpected and it’s an honor.”
Misiorowski is the 30th first-time All-Star and 16th replacement this year. There are now 80 total All-Stars.
“He’s impressive. He’s got some of the best stuff in the game right now, even though he’s a young pitcher,” said Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, who is a starting AL outfielder for his seventh All-Star nod. “He’s going to be a special pitcher in this game for a long time so I think he deserved it and it’s going be pretty cool for him and his family.”
Carlos Rodón, Carlos Estévez and Casey Mize were named replacement pitchers on the AL roster.
The New York Yankees‘ Rodón, an All-Star for the third time in five seasons, will replace teammate Max Fried for Tuesday’s game in Atlanta. Fried will be unavailable because he is scheduled to start Saturday against the Chicago Cubs.
In his final start before the All-Star game, Rodón allowed four hits and struck out eight in eight innings in an 11-0 victory over the Cubs.
“This one’s a little special for me,” said Rodón, an All-Star in 2021 and ’22 who was 3-8 in his first season with the Yankees two years ago before rebounding. “I wasn’t good when I first got here, and I just wanted to prove that I wasn’t to going to give up and just put my best foot forward and try to win as many games as I can.”
The Kansas City Royals‘ Estévez replaces Texas’ Jacob deGrom, who is scheduled to start at Houston on Saturday night. Estévez was a 2023 All-Star when he was with the Los Angeles Angels.
Mize takes the spot held by Boston‘s Garrett Crochet, who is scheduled to start Saturday against Tampa Bay. Mize gives the Tigers six All-Stars, most of any team and tied for the franchise record.
Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia will replace Tampa Bay‘s Brandon Lowe, who went on the injured list with left oblique tightness. The additions of Estévez and Garcia give the Royals four All-Stars, matching their 2024 total.
The Seattle Mariners announced center fielder Julio Rodríguez will not participate, and he was replaced by teammate Randy Arozarena. Rodríguez had been voted onto the AL roster via the players’ ballot. The Mariners, who have five All-Stars, said Rodríguez will use the break to “recuperate, rest and prepare for the second half.”
Arozarena is an All-Star for the second time. He started in left field for the AL two years ago, when he was with Tampa Bay. Arozarena was the runner-up to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the 2023 Home Run Derby.
Rays right-hander Drew Rasmussen, a first-time All-Star, is replacing Angels left-hander Yusei Kikuchi, who is scheduled to start Saturday night at Arizona. Rasmussen is 7-5 with a 2.82 ERA in 18 starts.
San Diego added a third NL All-Star reliever in lefty Adrián Morejón, who replaces Philadelphia starter Zack Wheeler. The Phillies’ right-hander is scheduled to start at San Diego on Saturday night. Morejón entered the weekend with a 1.71 ERA in 45 appearances.
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