Dec 14, 2024; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head football coach Bill Belichick is introduced during half time at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Report: North Carolina Tar Heels 'Exploring Potential Move From ACC to SEC'

Originally posted on LSU Tigers on SI | By Zack Nagy | Last updated Jul 24, 2025 3:46 PM ET

Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers will gear up for another gauntlet of a schedule in 2025 with multiple top-ranked programs on the slate heading into the upcoming season.

The Southeastern Conference is home to several elite programs in college football, and with the additions of the Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners, it's now that much stronger.

As conference realignment continues across the college football landscape, two programs are emerging as candidates to join the SEC: North Carolina and Clemson.

On Thursday, a report via the Sports Business Journal stated the North Carolina Tar Heels are "among a group interested in seeking departure from the ACC."

According to the Sports Business Journal: "The Univ. of North Carolina is among a group of schools 'interested in seeking a potential departure from the ACC' when the next round of realignment takes place, and it 'even could be considered at the front of that pack, alongside Clemson,' according to sources cited by Adam Smith of INSIDE CAROLINA."

The report also added: "The SEC 'is where the Tar Heels are aiming' under the leadership of Chancellor Lee Roberts and incoming AD Steve Newmark should a move occur. The ACC’s decreasing exit fees dip from $93M to a flat $75M threshold with the 2030-31 school year."

Realignment watch: Sources say UNC is among the schools exploring a potential move from the ACC with the SEC as the likely target

Under Chancellor Lee Roberts and incoming AD Steve Newmark, the Tar Heels could be leading the pack alongside Clemson.

Via @InsideCarolina
— Sports Business Journal (@SBJ) July 24, 2025

The Southeastern Conference has proven to be a juggernaut of a conference across major sports including football, baseball and basketball, among several others.

With the LSU Tigers, Georgia Bulldogs, Alabama Crimson Tide, and Texas Longhorns, among others, the SEC is as talented of a core as it comes.

But now reports are circulating that as conference realignment continues, the LSU Tigers' slate could get even more challenging with the likes of North Carolina and Clemson looking to make their way into the SEC.

The Southeastern Conference is currently made up of 16 programs, and with significant moves being made across college athletics, both schools remain on watch.