Stanford and Cal seek salvation: ACC invitations, or rejections, should come soon

The schools are desperate to join the ACC after the Pac-12’s collapse

Stanford and Cal’s athletic departments’ fates are expected to be decided by early next week, and possibly within the next 72 hours, as the schools await ACC invitations.

After being stranded for 19 days following the Pac-12’s demise, the Cardinals and Bears have had fits and starts in their ongoing search for shelter in an Eastern Time Zone conference.

The Bay Area schools, along with SMU in Dallas, are being considered for ACC membership beginning next summer.

Among the many unknowns: which Olympic sports teams would compete alongside the football and basketball programs in the ACC?

“It looks like it’s happening,” said an industry source familiar with the ACC’s plans on Wednesday.

However, due to the deeply complicated, highly fluid nature of conference realignment, the source cautioned that the apparent momentum for Stanford and Cal could vanish quickly. Last week, the schools were also optimistic, only to have roadblocks emerge within the ACC’s power structure.

Stanford and Cal would need approval from 12 of the ACC’s 15 schools to be admitted. So far, four teams have declared their opposition: North Carolina, North Carolina State, Clemson, and Florida State.

What could cause at least one to change positions? Money.

Stanford and California have offered to join the ACC at a reduced rate, meaning they would not receive the full annual revenue share from the conference’s media rights deal with ESPN. This would generate additional funds for the ACC’s existing schools from a pool of funds generated by expansion. (According to ESPN, SMU has offered to join with no media revenue for several years).

According to Yahoo, the ACC presidents will meet Thursday to discuss the situation.

If the Cardinals and Bears do not receive invitations from the ACC, they appear to have two options:

— Compete as Independents in football while competing in the Mountain West or West Coast Conferences in other sports.

— Join Washington State and Oregon State in rebuilding the Pac-12, which could include Mountain West and American Athletic Conference additions.

Both options are fraught with difficulties.

Competing in a Charlotte-based league, on the other hand, is.