ACC talking with USF among others to replace Maryland, according to report

The ACC may be interested in adding the Cincinnati Bearcats or South Florida Bulls to replace the departing Maryland Terrapins after school officials approved their move to the Big Ten. While the two immediate favorites to replace the Terrapins are the Connecticut Huskies and the Louisville Cardinals, the Bulls would give another Florida market to a conference that already has the Miami Hurricanes and the Florida St. Seminoles.

ACC in talks with UConn, Louisville, South Florida and Cincinnati about 14th team to replace Maryland, source told @cbssports.

— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerCBS) November 19, 2012

The ACC could add to their conference "pretty quickly," according to a CBS Sports article by Jeremy Fowler. Major factors that will play into the ACC's decision are geography and television market visibility. All this is happening during the Big East's television negotiation.

ACC hasn't approached anyone about replacing Maryland, but numerous schools contacted ACC about joining ACC, official tells @espn

— Brett McMurphy (@McMurphyESPN) November 19, 2012

The ACC will be attempting to keep the Seminoles and the Clemson Tigers as well as part-time member Notre Dame Fighting Irish happy at this critical point. Other conference athletic directors have expressed faith in the ACC despite the news of Maryland leaving, but some are irritated at the Big Ten, mainly because of the timing and the fact that they could be considering creating a 16-team conference.

This story originally appeared at SB Nation.