Changes for ACC in college football realignment would impact Charlotte

ESPN college football analyst Paul Finebaum has a ready answer for what Charlotte should plan for if, as expected, the city lands the Atlantic Coast Conference’s headquarters.

The ACC, based in Greensboro since the conference was founded in 1953, consists of 15 schools. Its marquee names include Clemson, Florida State, UNC Chapel Hill and the Virginia — all of whom have been linked in recent rumors around conference realignment that could see one or more of them fleeing to the more lucrative Southeastern Conference.

“You might put one (ACC headquarters) in uptown Charlotte and maybe have a satellite office in Birmingham,” Finebaum told CBJ, referring to the SEC’s Alabama headquarters city.

RELATED COVERAGE: Charlotte watches for ACC’s next move amid college sports realignment

Turning serious, he added, “I don’t think there’s any question these schools are in play.”

Speculation continues to swirl around the future of the ACC and college sports conference alignments since the Big Ten recently added the University of Southern California and UCLA from the Pac-12. The SEC previously landed Oklahoma and Texas — meaning the two highest-revenue conferences are both growing to 16 schools and will reap even larger media rights contracts as their brand-name recruits further affirm their dominance in college football.

Charlotte, even before it began pursuing the conference headquarters, has a lot at stake with the ACC.

Read more here.

(WATCH BELOW: Charlotte to host ACC football championship games through 2030)