Miami president Joe Echevarria said the ACC occupies college football‘s “second tier” and declined to rule out a move to the SEC or a Big Ten conference, according to an interview with Yahoo Sports. The comments, made during the week of Oct. 22, 2026, come as Miami sits at No. 1 in the AP Top 25 and as a congressional bill on college sports expansion divides ACC membership.
“We sit in the second tier,” Echevarria said, according to Yahoo Sports. He added a blunter line about the school’s leverage: “You cannot lock us into a conference.”
What Echevarria Said About The Acc’s Standing
Echevarria framed his comments around revenue and results. He noted Miami won nearly every game last year and maximized revenue under the ACC’s sharing model, yet the Hurricanes still earned the same payout as schools in the Big Ten and SEC that operate football programs at different investment levels, according to Yahoo Sports.
He also pointed to the postseason structure. The ACC does not get a vote on the 24-team College Football Playoff, while the Big Ten and SEC do, per Yahoo Sports.
The Revenue Gap Driving The Big Ten Conference Debate
The numbers underpin Echevarria’s argument. The Big Ten and SEC already distribute an average of $25 million more per school annually than the ACC, according to Yahoo Sports. That gap could nearly double when both leagues renegotiate their media deals in 2030, when the SEC may exercise a look-in clause with ESPN and the Big Ten’s current rights agreement expires.
Miami does not have the option to wait out those negotiations cheaply. The ACC’s binding television contract with ESPN runs through 2036, locking member schools into the current revenue model for years beyond the 2030 reset point for the other two leagues.
Academic And Geographic Fit
Echevarria laid out why Miami could plausibly fit in either rival league. “As an AAU research institution, we line up with the Big Ten’s profile. We have an exceptionally strong profile that compares favorably with leading research institutions across the country. On the geography idea, we line up better with the SEC,” he said, according to Yahoo Sports.
He also tempered the speculation with a loyalty caveat. “We are proud members of the ACC. If the economics were even, we wouldn’t be having any of these conversations,” Echevarria said.
Context: A Divided Acc And A Pending Bill
Miami is not alone in pushing for change. Miami, Florida State, Clemson, North Carolina and other schools are lobbying to raise the conference expansion cap in the Protect College Sports Act from 20 teams to 22, according to CBS Sports.
That push has split the conference. Thirteen ACC schools voted one way on the congressional bill and four voted the other, a split Yahoo Sports said reflects differing levels of commitment to investing in high-level football. Miami has also explored operating as a football independent, including conversations involving potential media partners such as Amazon, according to Yahoo Sports.
On-Field Timing Adds Weight To The Comments
Echevarria’s remarks landed days after Miami reached No. 1 in the AP Top 25 following a double-overtime win over Florida State, a result detailed in Miami’s case for the top spot and the controversial finish covered in the Hail Mary interception ruling. The Hurricanes’ 69 all-time appearances at No. 1 rank eighth most in college football history, according to the Associated Press, and the climb ended a 24-year stretch in which no team outside the SEC or Big Ten had reached the top spot.
What’s Next
No timeline has been set for any Miami decision on conference realignment, and the school has not received confirmed approaches from the Big Ten or SEC. The Protect College Sports Act remains pending in Congress, and the ACC’s internal split over that bill is likely to stay a storyline as schools weigh the financial gap with the other two major conferences. Miami’s next ranked test comes against Clemson, previewed in Miami’s trip to Death Valley.
Don't stop here
Every Score. Every Story. One Home.
Breaking sports, entertainment and news from across the Total Apex network, updated all day.
Get the Full Story →
