BERKELEY – Chancellor Carol T. Christ announced Friday that the University of California, Berkeley, will join the Atlantic Coast Conference beginning with the 2024-25 academic year.

"We are very pleased with the outcome, which will support the best interests of our student-athletes and aligns with Berkeley's values," Christ said. "We are confident that the ACC and its constituent institutions are an excellent match for our university and will provide an elite competitive context for our student-athletes in this changing landscape of intercollegiate athletics. I want to thank UC President Michael Drake, Director of Athletics Jim Knowlton and ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips for the partnership, hard work and leadership that made this agreement possible." 

The decision comes against the backdrop of significant conference realignment across the country in recent years and was made after an extensive exploration of options and in the wake of hard work and diligent negotiations in recent weeks. Throughout, campus leadership prioritized the needs of its student-athletes and what would be required to secure Cal Athletics' long-term stability, while preserving the program's stature and the essential role it plays on the Berkeley campus.

Longtime Pac-12 rival and neighbor Stanford University also announced Friday it will be joining the ACC next summer, as did Southern Methodist University, bringing the conference's member institutions to a total of 18. 

UC Berkeley values the ACC's extensive championship culture. The conference sponsors competition at the highest level in 28 sports; Cal Athletics has teams in 24 of them. Cal has won 103 national championships in its history - no conference has won more NCAA championships over the last two years than the ACC.

"We made this decision in the best interests of our student-athletes, the university and our extended Cal community of alumni and supporters," said Christ. "We look forward to cheering on the Golden Bears in their new conference home, just as we look forward to many more years of competing for The Stanford Axe."

UC Berkeley, which is consistently ranked as one of the top universities in the world, will be joining a conference that features schools with excellent academic reputations. The most recent U.S. News & World Report rankings of "Best Colleges" recognized the ACC as the leader among Power 5 conferences for the 16th consecutive year. With the addition of Cal and Stanford, the ACC now features nine institutions that are members of the prestigious Association of American Universities.

"We are excited that our student-athletes will continue to have the opportunity to compete against like-minded schools that prioritize academics and athletics," Knowlton said. "When you look at the quality of the institutions in the ACC, this is an incredible fit. Our student-athletes will continue to compete at the highest level, while getting a degree from one of the world's best universities."

UC Berkeley will be joining the ACC as a full member in August 2024. The university will receive a full share of all revenues, including media revenue, while contributing back a portion of its media revenue to support and strengthen the conference and its current member institutions. UC Berkeley's membership contribution will taper off until the 10th year, at which point it will begin retaining 100% of its media revenue share. The fact that annual revenue will increase over time was an important factor in the agreement.

UC Berkeley will also receive a full share of other conference payouts that come from the College Football Playoff, NCAA basketball distribution, bowl games and more. 

"I'd like to thank Chancellor Christ, President Drake and an unheralded, but essential, group of advisers and advocates who were in the trenches with us as we fought for the future of Cal Athletics," Knowlton said. "I'd also like to thank ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips, who was indefatigable throughout this process. I really look forward to partnering with him as a member of the ACC. I am confident that this agreement will serve and support the best interests of our amazing student-athletes, coaches and staff,who make us proud every single day."

While membership in the ACC will result in some increased travel for student-athletes and staff, it is projected that 19 of Cal's 30 sports will experience either no or minimal change with regard to travel to the east. UC Berkeley will also explore measures to minimize the effect additional travel could have on the remaining student-athletes.