Stanford Informs Remaining PAC-4 Teams It Will Join The ACC For Free

Stanford University has consistently been behind the conference realignment eight ball.

While the rest of the Pac-12 Conference has abandoned ship over the past month, Stanford was caught napping.

And now it’s paying a substantial financial price.

According to the Associated Press, Stanford informed the remaining Pac-4 schools that they’re desperate to leave for the ACC. How desperate?

Desperate enough that they’re essentially willing to join the conference for free. Literally. For free.

The AP’s source said that leaders from Stanford and the other three schools spoke Thursday, with the Cardinal saying they would leave for a significantly discounted portion of the ACC’s media rights fees. Or for none of it, assuming they’re invited.

Seems like Oregon State’s goal of keeping the schools together doesn’t have much hope of coming to fruition.

READ: OREGON STATE DESPERATELY TRYING TO KEEP PAC-12 LEFTOVERS TOGETHER

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - DECEMBER 03: A general view of the PAC-12 logo at midfield before the PAC-12 Football Championship football game between the Oregon Ducks and the Utah Utes at Allegiant Stadium on December 03, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)

Stanford Shows Desperate Position Of Remaining Schools

The last four holdouts in the so-called Pac-4 are in unbelievably poor shape for the near future.

Schools like Oregon and Washington committed to the Big Ten in large part to avoid this exact scenario; being forced to accept a terrible financial arrangement in order to move to a cohesive conference.

Now they’re stuck, potentially sacrificing tens of millions of dollars per year under current agreements.

Stanford University has ungodly sums of money, where they might be willing to take that hit in order to secure their future. But for Oregon State, Washington State and Cal, that’s not likely to be an option.

So what happens next for them? Who knows! Welcome to the Pac-4.