STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford University today announced that it has accepted an invitation to join the Atlantic Coast Conference beginning in August 2024. This move provides the opportunity for Stanford student-athletes to continue pursuing excellence at the highest levels nationally, both in the classroom and on the playing field, which has been a core priority for the university throughout the realignment process.
In addition to providing a competitive infrastructure for Cardinal athletics, joining the ACC positions Stanford alongside many universities aligned with its vision for the scholar-athlete model and broad-based excellence.
"ACC membership aligns Stanford with a conference of leading peer institutions who share a deep history of athletic success and a commitment to the pursuit of academic excellence. We appreciate the invitation of the ACC member schools, and we are excited to join them," said Jerry Yang, chair of the Stanford University Board of Trustees.
Stanford University President Richard Saller said, "Student-athletes come to Stanford to pursue their highest academic and athletic potential, and joining the ACC gives us the ability to continue offering them that opportunity at a national level. We appreciate the dedicated efforts of Commissioner Jim Phillips and the leaders of the ACC member institutions to create this promising path forward."
The academic success and personal wellbeing of Stanford student-athletes have been a foremost consideration throughout this process, including managing travel so it remains reasonable for competition. In joining the ACC, Stanford expects 22 of its 36 sports will see either no scheduling changes or minimal scheduling impacts. The university will be working with the ACC to optimize scheduling, much of which will continue to occur over weekends, as well as on other solutions to mitigate the impact of travel and support the continued academic success of student-athletes.
"Throughout this process we have been driven by the imperative to provide excellent opportunities for our student-athletes," said Bernard Muir, Stanford's Jaquish & Kenninger Director of Athletics. "Conference affiliations and the broadcast revenue they generate provide key financial support for the wide array of sports that Stanford offers. Joining the ACC will ensure the Power Conference competitive infrastructure and long-term media revenues that are critical for our student-athletes to compete."
President Emeritus Marc Tessier-Lavigne, who stepped down this week as Stanford president, has led Stanford's conference realignment discussions and was asked by incoming President Saller to continue leading the effort to its conclusion. Tessier-Lavigne said, "Stanford has had a long and proud history in the Pac-12. With the decision of other Pac-12 institutions to leave the conference, we are extremely fortunate to have found such an exciting new conference home in the ACC. We believe this move will offer excellent opportunities for our student-athletes, and we will continue our commitment to supporting them in their pursuit of both academic and athletic success."
ACC membership ensures national exposure for the university through the conference's broadcast partners and competition with leading national universities. The University of California, Berkeley, and Southern Methodist University will also join the ACC in August of 2024.
The addition of Stanford and Cal will bring to nine the number of ACC institutions that are members of the Association of American Universities. It also will add two top-25 LEARFIELD Directors' Cup athletic departments to the ACC's six from the 2022-23 season. Ten of the ACC's current members finished in the top 50 for the 2022-23 LEARFIELD Directors' Cup season.
The nation's all-time leader in NCAA team championships, Stanford enters the 2023-24 campaign with 134. The Cardinal has won 163 national team championships overall. Meanwhile, Stanford has produced 554 NCAA individual national champions and 635 overall. The Cardinal's success on the international stage remains unparalleled, with 177 Stanford-affiliated athletes having won a combined total of 296 medals (150 gold, 79 silver, 67 bronze) in Summer Olympic competition.
Stanford will continue to be a member of the Pac-12 Conference through the conclusion of the 2023-24 season. After more than a century in the Pac-12, the university looks forward to an exciting new chapter in the story of Stanford Athletics in the ACC.
