After the Pac-12 imploded last year, some have begun to wonder if the same would happen to the ACC.
There are signs pointing to impending changes for the league, though it may not be as quick as the Pac-12. Here’s what’s going on with the ACC and what it means for the Group of Five and college football as a whole.
Clemson & FSU’s ACC Status
Clemson and Florida State have both sued the ACC in recent months over matters related to the ACC’s grant of rights.
Neither school has given official notice that it intends to leave. However, Florida State has reportedly expressed frustration with the ACC’s media deal for months, saying FSU isn’t making enough to keep up with SEC and Big Ten programs also seeking to win national championships.
For example, the nine FBS leagues recently signed off on a six-year College Football Playoff arrangement through 2031 that would give the Big Ten and SEC nearly twice as much money as the ACC and Big 12.
Florida State has argued the ACC has mismanaged its TV agreement with ESPN, The Athletic reported. FSU is also seeking for a court in Florida to rule whether the ACC’s grant of rights is legitimate.
Clemson is questioning the legitimacy of the ACC’s grant of rights when it comes to a school leaving the conference.
The ACC maintains that both schools knew and accepted the terms when they agreed to the grant of rights and the ACC’s media deal with ESPN. The ACC has sued both FSU and Clemson. The Florida attorney general has also filed a lawsuit in hopes of making the ACC-ESPN media deal public record.
Is ACC Realignment On The Horizon?
Sports media experts have argued Clemson and Florida State’s cases against the ACC aren’t very strong, which could prevent the conference from dissolving anytime soon. However, that doesn’t mean it isn’t impossible.
Those schools could come up with the financial means to separate from the ACC, or perhaps all parties involved come to an amicable solution which means those two programs can seek a new conference.
But if that did happen, the ACC would be losing arguably its two most valuable members when it comes to college football. And like what happened with the Pac-12, some big-name schools leaving could lead to several others wanting out as well.
At the very least, ACC members should be exploring other possibilities if the league fell apart. Programs like Miami, North Carolina, and Louisville could certainly fit with the remaining power conferences. Schools like UNC, Duke, and Virginia would also obviously bring along strong traditions in other sports like men’s basketball as well.
A judge reportedly decided recently to grant a temporary restraining order against North Carolina’s board of trustees. That means the board can’t go over things like finances or conference realignment in a closed session.
What Do Potential ACC Changes Mean For The Group Of Five?
For the sake of the Group of Five, if the ACC were to completely dissolve, it’s not impossible some programs are left behind by the power leagues. Oregon State and Washington State, for example, are now in a scheduling agreement with the Mountain West.
Perhaps leagues like the AAC or the Sun Belt figure out an arrangement with leftover ACC teams.
Could An ACC Expansion Happen Soon?
The ACC recently added Cal and Stanford, two of the last four teams left in the Pac-12 along with Washington State and Oregon State, though Clemson, Florida State, Miami, and North Carolina voted against it. The conference also added SMU, a former AAC program.
But picking up any more schools seems unlikely at this point, considering the unstable nature of the ACC. If Clemson and Florida State reasserted their long-term commitments to the ACC, as unlikely as that appears right now, perhaps the ACC could add more teams down the road. Some G5 schools like Memphis or Tulane could potentially be good fits.
The ACC’s media deal netted each program about $40 million in 2021-22, according to Yahoo Sports. The deal is set to expire in 2036, though according to FSU’s lawsuit filing that deal might only be guaranteed until 2027.
In comparison, the media deals for the Big Ten and SEC both give over $50 million to each school.
What’s The Exit Fee For FSU And Clemson With The ACC?
A complaint from Clemson in its lawsuit claimed the exit fee for the Tigers to leave the league would be $140 million. The Athletic reported that number is three times as much as the ACC’s annual budget.
But the program’s media rights is another conversation. For example, the cost to buy back FSU’s media rights and leave the league would reportedly be around $572 million.
NCAA To Pay College Football Players
The NCAA, along with the Power Four leagues, agreed previously to let schools pay athletes directly. This obviously affects the ACC.
This is in the wake of the NCAA’s settlement in federal antitrust cases which will lead to former college athletes being paid after they weren’t able to profit off of their names, images, and likenesses while in college. This will reportedly result in the governing body of college sports paying about $2.7 billion over 10 years to past and current athletes, per ESPN.
The NCAA will pay for nearly half of it. Of that remaining half, 60% will be paid by non-Power Five conferences and their programs.
There will be 17 teams in the ACC in 2024.
There were 14 football teams that competed in the ACC in 2023. They included: Florida State, Louisville, NC State, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, Clemson, North Carolina, Duke, Miami, Boston College, Syracuse, Virginia, Pitt, and Wake Forest.
The ACC also added Stanford and Cal from the Pac-12 last year and picked up former AAC member SMU as well. Notre Dame, though independent, schedules a good number of ACC games.
