While the Big Ten kicks off its annual football media day event this week in Indianapolis, the ACC will simultaneously host its midsummer ACC Football Kickoff in Charlotte, North Carolina. While the Big Ten welcomes four members of the Pac-12 as new conference members this season, the ACC will welcome two new members from the West Coast in Cal and Stanford. The ACC will also go through its media day frenzy under what appears to be a cloud of constant uncertainty, as multiple conference members have not shirked their desire to free themselves from conference privileges and potentially land in a new conference home. Of course, the riches that come with Big Ten membership are enough to entice a few ACC schools to join the conference.

Florida State and Clemson are the two headliners continuing to push the issue with the ACC. Both schools have taken legal action to challenge the ACC grant of rights in hopes of creating an exit that isn’t a huge financial burden. For now, the Big Ten reportedly has no plans to add Florida State.

“(Big Ten commissioner) Tony (Petitti) is staying away from expansion, and we’re following Tony’s lead,” a source reportedly told Action Network’s Brett McMurphy. Of course, that came with a little disclaimer hinting at mass chaos in the ACC on a level comparable to the demise of the Pac-12.

“There is no will among the presidents unless there is some catastrophic development in the ACC and it forces (the Big Ten) to make a decision,” McMurphy quoted the same anonymous source as saying.

The SEC is reportedly in the same boat as the Big Ten when it comes to adding Florida State and Clemson. In the case of the SEC, the conference already has a strong foothold in both schools’ home states with Florida and South Carolina. Of course, the SEC just added Texas, despite Texas A&M already being there. But Florida State and Clemson are generally not on the same level as the Longhorns.

The long-running rumors that the Big 12 is the most likely destination for Florida State and Clemson may just stick around until it becomes a reality. We’ve been seeing these rumors for over a decade, so it might be time to just make the move.

Florida State and Clemson seem like a bit of a package deal, either way, but there are other schools that could be potential targets for the Big Ten if the ACC collapses. North Carolina is seen as the bigger fish in the pond if the Big Ten decides to go fishing. North Carolina would fit in with both the Big Ten and the SEC, and the Tar Heels would be an attractive candidate for each.

Miami has become a rising contender in the rumor mill with reports that the Hurricanes could make a bid to join the Big Ten, Miami would make sense for the Big Ten because it would give the Big Ten a footprint in Florida and the school is a member of the AAU. And it might not take much to convince Miami to leave the ACC. Miami seems to be the school that is watching the action around them and waiting to seize their chance to leave.

Miami and North Carolina as two new Big Ten programs would be a huge move for the expanding Big Ten. If the ACC is cracking, adding Cal and Stanford to the mix wouldn’t be far-fetched given the Big Ten’s newfound position on the West Coast. Put Virginia and Georgia Tech on your radar just in case, but Big Ten fans should definitely keep a close eye on the ACC buzz going forward. It may not implode like the Pac-12, but the ACC is the conference on the shakiest ground right now.

The ACC Football Kickoff and Big Ten Media Days are scheduled for Tuesday, July 22 through Thursday, July 25.

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