Syracuse to Join ACC July 1, 2013 - NBC29 WVIR Charlottesville, VA News, Sports and Weather

At this time next year, the Atlantic Coast Conference will have 13 member schools.

Syracuse University and the Big East Conference reached an agreement Monday that brings the Orange to the ACC earlier than expected.

Syracuse announced its intentions to leave the Big East in the fall, but under conference bylaws, the school needed to serve a 27-month exit period.

With the new agreement, the Orange can leave July 1, 2013 and must pay a $7.5 million exit fee.

Pittsburgh agreed to remain in the Big East until July 1, 2014, but Pitt is hoping to depart for the ACC sooner, maybe by the fall of next year.

When the Panthers ultimately join the conference, the ACC will go to a nine-game conference schedule in football, and all 14 schools will play in the men's and women's conference basketball tournaments.