The ACC made it official this morning that Pitt and Syracuse will be joining the ACC. You can read the story here. This is the beginnings of what I predicted two weeks ago. It looks like the ACC will be mining the Big East for two more members in the coming weeks.
The Kansas newspapers are saying the Jayhawks and Texas are being considered for the ACC, but I doubt this will happen unless Texas drops its demand for keeping the Longhorn Network. While Kansas would be a good fit with basketball, the football program would be a drain on the ACC and not add anything. As much as the ACC values basketball, football is the driver here. Evidence is clear in the move by Syracuse, who is already in a wonderful basketball league, but wants more football stability. The KC Star mentioned the ACC was looking at four team pods, but nowhere did they mention who would pod with Kansas and Texas.
The pod idea works great with two more Big East teams. If, as rumored (and predicted here on FTRS), UConn and Rutgers are the next two ACC teams, the pods for the ACC are easy to build. Put Pitt, Syracuse, UConn and BC in one pod; Rutgers, UVa, VPI and Maryland in another; Wake, Duke, UNC, and NC State in a third (this will make the ACC blue bloods happy); and Tech, Clemson, FSU and Miami in a fourth. The conference schedule would be the three teams in your pod, plus four teams in another pod, which would be rotated year to year. That would give each team seven conference games.
The pods don't work with Texas and Kansas. I am not sure who are closest to Lawrence and Austin, but it would a travel nightmare.
But this is about money and survival. Texas and Kansas don't add that much if Texas keeps the LHN and shares in other ACC revenues. They would always be above the rest of the members. Plus, I cannot see them agreeing to a $20 million buyout. Kansas is just dreaming about what could be if all were fair in this world. UConn and Rutgers bring the NYC market, which will be very interested in the ACC when there are five schools nearby playing at the highest level. Plus, these schools are right for the ACC on many other levels as well.