The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), has made a significant expansion by adding the University of California, Stanford, and SMU.

The move is geographically notable as the ACC has historically been the home of East Coast teams. Adding schools from California and Texas is a significant departure from their territory.

This move is part of a broader trend in college sports where schools are leaving local alliances to pursue greater TV revenue in more distant leagues. USC and UCLA’s decision to join the Midwest-centric Big Ten, followed by Oregon and Washington departing for the Big Ten, set off a chain reaction of defections from the Pac-12, including Arizona, Arizona State, Utah, and Colorado, who joined the Big 12. The inclusion of Cal, Stanford, and SMU in the ACC marks a further shift in the landscape of college sports.

Critics of conference realignment have pointed out the travel difficulty for student-athletes. Particularly those in the subsidized sports that often fly commercial.