Wake Forest
Considering that Duke, North Carolina, and NC State all have multiple times in basketball, it’s fair to say that Wake Forest is typically the afterthought in the state. Their future without the ACC looks somewhat murky, especially if they don’t get invited to the Big Ten along with the Blue Devils and Tar Heels, which wouldn’t be a surprise considering their recent lack of success in the major sports.
Football is important to the Demon Deacons, so the Big East is out of consideration. They don’t really fit into the footprint of either the Big 12 or SEC, though they could perhaps fill a role if either conference is interested. There aren’t really any Big 12 teams in that part of the country, and they could form quite the pocket out there, especially if Louisville and Pittsburgh join the league as well.
Frankly, Wake Forest is another school that really wants the ACC to stay together. They have long-term rivalries with nearly all of the programs in this conference and don’t want to lose their fellow schools from North Carolina. It’s pretty unlikely that they’ll stay with those in-state rivals if the ACC goes belly up, though there’s at least a potential future for them in the Big 12 or another league.
Do you agree with these potential landing spots and moves for the current teams in the ACC? Nothing is concrete by any means and a lot of things could still happen, but there are certainly bright roads ahead for many of these programs even if the ACC falls apart and major conference realignment happens again.