College football realignment news: North Carolina has handshake agreement with SEC, per report

North Carolina could have a way out of the ACC and into the SEC already in place if the situation arose where the school could make a move, as college football conference realignment rumors start to build again leading into the 2025 season.

UNC has a “handshake agreement” in place with the SEC to make a move to that conference in the future if the opportunity presents itself, The Post and Courier’s Scott Hamilton told The Paul Finebaum Show.

And the Tar Heels don’t appear to be alone in that regard, as Virginia appears to have a similar understanding in place with the Big Ten for a prospective move, Hamilton said.

North Carolina would appear to be the school most interested in making a move out of the ACC, with Clemson and Florida State being the other schools most likely to plan an exit in the years to come, he added.

“I think it’s UNC No. 1, then I think it’s Florida State-Clemson, Clemson-Florida State No. 2 after that,” Hamilton said.

North Carolina would appear to be an attractive target for the SEC not only in football, but arguably more for the school’s success in basketball, its association with Jordan Brand, its academic standing, and its reputation in non-revenue and Olympic sports.

That talk follows an Inside Carolina report that emerged late last week that North Carolina was aiming for a move to the SEC in the years to come, should events align to allow the school to exit the ACC at some point.

Rumors about ACC members looking to leave the conference have arisen in the weeks after the conference settled lawsuits brought against it by Florida State and Clemson, resulting in new terms for how the league will distribute money to its member schools in the future.

As part of that settlement, the exit fee to leave the ACC is scheduled to come down in the years to come, which could incentivize member schools to plan an exit at a cheaper price in search for a more profitable conference.

Naturally, the SEC and Big Ten would be the most attractive destinations in terms of their respective media deals.

If a school leaves the ACC in 2025-26, they would still owe the league a massive $165 million exit fee. That figure drops to $147 million in 2026-27, then to $129 million in 2027-28, to $111 million in 2028-29, and to $93 million in 2029-30.

Industry experts contend the ACC should almost certainly remain intact through that time, but things could get more interesting starting in 2030, when the exit fee will shrink to $75 million.

This isn’t the first we’ve heard about North Carolina scouting a possible exit from the ACC. The school was among the so-called “Magnificent Seven” that rebelled behind the scenes against the league two years ago looking for a bigger share of the financial pie.

And while the ACC’s new arrangement should help those schools secure a stronger revenue base in the short term, it appears some are still looking for greener pastures in the years to come.

--