Stanford coach: Our intention is Power 5 football

STANFORD, Calif. — As Stanford grapples with the crumbling Pac-12, first-year football coach Troy Taylor said the school intends to remain at the Power 5 level.

“I think the players that committed to us and came here, they want to play Power 5 football, and that is what our intention is with this university,” Taylor said Tuesday evening. “I can’t imagine anything else.”

ACC presidents met Tuesday morning to discuss the possibility of adding Stanford and Cal, but the matter was not voted on, sources told ESPN’s Pete Thamel. With eight schools set to depart the Pac-12 after this season, Stanford’s future is in limbo, and it’s unclear where the Cardinal would turn if an offer were not extended from the ACC.

Joining the ACC would present logistical challenges in having to travel across the country for every road game, but Taylor dismissed any concerns that would create for football.

“I’m OK with traveling. Our guys love playing football, and if you’ve got to travel a little more, that means when people come play us, they got to travel,” Taylor said. “We want to be in a great conference and we’re sure that will happen. The travel, if that happens, it’s fine.

“People used to have to come across the country in a covered wagon — it would take them months and they’d be completely different people by the time they got there. We get on a plane for five hours, six hours, that’s not the end of the world. You get drinks served to you and some snacks and it’s not that bad.”

The added travel generally is not viewed as a significant hurdle for football due to the minimal amount of road games. However, the prospect of Stanford’s other sports being forced into regular lengthy road trips complicates the potential for the school to join the ACC as a full-fledged member.

Taylor said he has not been in conversations at the administrative level about Stanford’s future but has fielded questions from potential recruits.

“Obviously, people want to hear what’s going on and I tell them to just be patient and hopefully we’ll come to some resolution,” Taylor said. “I don’t have any answers for them at this point, but they trust the brand of Stanford, why they chose Stanford, and we will end up at a good place. I really believe that. Wish it was in the Pac-12 and sorry to see that end, but as a coach, as a player, you move forward quickly.”

Stanford expects some kind of resolution by the end of the week, sources told ESPN.

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