Florida State University’s Board of Trustees is set to convene an important meeting to explore the possibility of parting ways with the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). The potential move is driven by the school’s desire to seek a legal filing that would enable it to exit the ACC’s binding grant-of-rights agreement, a highly significant obstacle in the process of leaving the conference.
Signed with ESPN back in 2016, the grant-of-rights agreement poses a substantial challenge for any school wishing to sever ties with the ACC. However, Florida State is determined to pursue this avenue, even though it could come at a hefty price. Leaving the ACC could cost the university an estimated $500 million in addition to a $120 million exit fee.
To challenge the grant-of-rights agreement, Florida State is considering taking a “declaratory judgment action,” a legal measure aimed at contesting the binding nature of the contract. The university is not alone in contemplating an exit from the ACC, as several other schools, including Clemson, North Carolina, Miami, Virginia Tech, Virginia, and NC State, have also engaged in discussions about potentially leaving.
This desire to break away from the ACC is indicative of the shifting landscape in college football, characterized by the financial advantage gained by conferences such as the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and the Big Ten through lucrative media rights deals. With the recent addition of powerhouse programs like Texas, Oklahoma, Oregon, Washington, USC, and UCLA to the SEC and Big Ten, the competitive disparity is expected to widen.
As a consequence, it is believed that SEC and Big Ten schools will dominate the at-large spots in the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff. This reality has reignited talks about leaving the ACC, particularly for Florida State, which was notably excluded from this year’s four-team playoff. The disappointment of missing out on the CFP has fueled the university’s accelerated pursuit of an exit strategy.
Florida State President Richard McCullough has previously expressed the school’s willingness to leave the ACC unless there are substantial changes to revenue distribution. This stance underscores the importance of financial considerations in shaping the future of collegiate athletics and conference alignments. As the situation unfolds, schools across the country will closely monitor the developments and their potential impact on the ever-evolving landscape of college football.
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