ACC TV Extension Could Keep Florida State, Clemson in the Conference

ESPN’s deal with the ACC will extend the contract by nine years, to 2036
Cal tight end Corey Dyches (10) makes a leaping catch agains Florida State
Cal tight end Corey Dyches (10) makes a leaping catch agains Florida State / Melina Myers-Imagn Images

The ACC announced on Thursday that it has accepted a nine-year extension of its TV rights with ESPN, which could help keep Florida State and Clemson in the ACC.

ESPN had an option to extend its deal with the ACC, and, not surprisingly, it did so. It means the contract with the ACC, which was due to expire in 2027, will now go to 2036.

The extension agreement is not much different form the existing contract, although it may mean the ACC has a better chance of keeping Florida State and Clemson, which have been pursuing legal means to leave the conference.

Here is an excerpt from the Yahoo report on the agreement

The extension paves the way for the league to potentially finalize a settlement with Clemson and Florida State that would keep them in the conference under possible alterations to the conference grant of rights and the league’s revenue distribution structure, as Yahoo Sports reported in September. The sides, negotiating for months now, are inching closer to a resolution.

The ESPN report included this excerpt:

The agreement is a critical step toward securing stability for the conference. With the television deal settled, the ACC is now working toward a settlement with Clemson and Florida State that could end those schools' ongoing lawsuits against the conference.

The Yahoo report also mentions the possibility of a scheduling arrangement in which the ACC’s three biggest brands – Florida State, Clemson and Miami – would face Notre Dame more frequently, with at least two of the three playing the Irish every year.

The Yahoo article also mentions the ongoing discussions regarding a possible uneven revenue distribution in which the schools that have more success in football and basketball would get a larger share of the revenue.  Currently all schools receive equal shares, although Cal and Stanford receive a significantly smaller share for their first seven years in the ACC.

ESPN reported Clemson, Florida State, Miami and North Carolina would likely get the largest shares in an uneven revenue distribution.

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Jake Curtis
JAKE CURTIS

Jake Curtis worked in the San Francisco Chronicle sports department for 27 years, covering virtually every sport, including numerous Final Fours, several college football national championship games, an NBA Finals, world championship boxing matches and a World Cup. He was a Cal beat writer for many of those years, and won awards for his feature stories.