In a conversation that got plenty of attention late last week, there was a question floated in The Athletic Mailbag, wondering if it made sense for the Big 12 and ACC, in an alternate universe, to swap three teams for geographical purposes.
A reader proposed a straight-up three-team swap between leagues: Stanford, Cal, and SMU to the Big 12 in exchange for Cincinnati, West Virginia, and UCF to the ACC.
Stewart Mandel didn’t shoot it down. In fact, he liked it.
In his response, Mandel wrote that the scenario “almost makes too much sense,” nodding to the growing reality that geography, tradition, and television appeal are now more flexible than ever.
But does it really?
SMU is the Only Big 12 Fit
SMU is in the heart of the Big 12 footprint in Dallas, and would bring the Iron Skillet to the Big 12, which would immediately make it one of the best rivalries in a Big 12 that is in search of those right now.
There are also cultural fits between SMU and the Big 12, while also locking down another quality University and improving athletics department in the state of Texas. There’s nothing to not like on this front. And with SMU clearly all-in on football and making the College Football Playoff last year, I see no evidence that the Mustangs are going to be slowing down on the NIL front any time soon.
Sure, TCU probably won’t like it. But look at BYU and Utah. There was a faction of BYU fans that may not have wanted Utah in the Big 12, but they’re stronger together being in the same conference and bringing the Holy War back as an annual match up with conference implications. SMU would do the same for the Big 12, and TCU would have to accept that.
But Cal and Stanford? No Thanks.
There’s absolutely no evidence that Stanford and Cal have any interest in competing in football at a high level. Cal hasn’t had a winning record in its conference since 2009 under Jeff Tedford. Meantime, Stanford has won seven conference games over the last four seasons.
If you want to be an optimist, Cal is currently ranked 6th and Stanford is 11th in the 2026 ACC recruiting rankings, according to 247Sports rankings.
Then, there’s the environmental fit, or lack thereof.
Maybe Stanford and Cal might like a reunification with some former Pac-12 foes like Utah, Arizona, Arizona State and Colorado, but are those four really interested in going back to Stanford or Cal for road games, when they’re getting environments like Lubbock, Stillwater, Manhattan, Ames and others. Talk about a drop off.
And let’s not forget the cultural differences that clearly exist as well. There’s a commonality between the current 16 Big 12 schools that doesn’t exist in the ACC or Big Ten. The SEC seems to have what the Big 12 has, with cultural continuity across the board.
And while the Big 12 got the perfect four Pac-12 schools, sans Colorado, from a cultural perspective, there’s absolutely no way that Stanford or Cal fit this mold. And I think all parties involved would agree with this assessment.
Count Me Out
So at a time when the Big 12 is as united as it’s been in the conference’s 30-year history, count me out from this hypothetical three-team trade.
There might be some travel benefits for each side, but that is where the perks end for the Big 12 Conference in this hypothetical deal. No thanks.
