Which ACC schools make the most sense to join the Big Ten

In response to the news that USC and UCLA are making the move to the Big Ten, Rubbing the Rock released an article as to why Clemson is a better fit for the Big Ten than the SEC. There was a lot of great points made in it, which brings up the question: which ACC schools would be best suited to join the Big Ten?

Geographically, the school that makes the most sense is obviously Pitt. Surely there would be no social media wars between the two fanbases if it was announced that Penn State and Pitt would be members of the same conference.

Schools such as Virginia, Virginia Tech, Boston College, and Syracuse would also make a lot of sense geographically.

The Nittany Lions have already scheduled a future non-conference home and home with Syracuse.

Penn State also missed out on a trip to Lane Stadium in 2020 to take on Virginia Tech. An addition of the Hokies to the conference would not only make up for that, but James Franklin would get an opportunity to go head-to-head with one of his former longtime assistants: Brent Pry.

Another pair of schools that could greatly benefit the conference, especially on the hardwood, would be Duke and UNC. The two are also outstanding academic institutions, which is something that the Big Ten prioritizes out of its member schools.

While Duke is traditionally one of the worst Power 5 schools in the country, UNC has a respectable football program which would make an addition of the Tar Heels a good one. Due to their electric basketball rivalry, the two neighboring schools are essentially a package deal.

The final school that would be a HUGE addition to the Big Ten is a team that we have already mentioned: the Clemson Tigers.

Not only would it make the conference even stronger than it already is, but it would feature a number of great matchups in fun environments, as Memorial Stadium is one of the better atmospheres in college football – especially their signature entrance.

The Tigers could also continue to build upon a rivalry between themselves and Ohio State that has begun to form in some recent College Football Playoff games.

One thing is for sure, Clemson is the most valuable item at the proverbial auction between the Big Ten and the SEC. The Tigers have been the best college football program of the last 10 years that isn’t named Alabama, and whichever conference is able to land the current ACC powerhouse will likely win this arms race.

While it seems like the Big Ten is primarily focused on extending west at this point it time, don’t expect it to take long before the SEC makes another move. If they make a move towards the ACC, anticipate the Big Ten to counter that move quickly.