ACC Grants Pivotal Documents To Florida AG, But What Will The Public Be Able To See?

This issue remains unclear as the Atlantic Coast Conference agreed to let Florida State University's legal counsel privately view important documents such as the "ESPN Agreement."

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody speaks in front of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis during a press conference at Palm Beach Atlantic University in February 2023. / GREG LOVETT/THE PALM BEACH POST / USA

The ACC has agreed to release the contents of the secret media contracts – including the coveted ESPN Agreement – to Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody’s (R-FL) office. Her press release states that Floridians will now be able to access “what the Atlantic Coast Conference is hiding.”

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With FSU being a public university, AG Moody claims any contracts or agreements involving FSU should be public record. In April, Moody joined Florida State in suing the ACC after the conference would not release the content of the ever-important Grant of Rights deal to the public.

AG Moody's press release reads, “Floridians will finally get to see what the Atlantic Coast Conference is hiding in its effort to keep Florida State University from leaving the conference. Attorney General Ashley Moody just secured an agreement from the ACC’s attorneys to provide secretive media rights contracts at the center of the legal battle. The ACC capitulation follows legal action from Attorney General Moody demanding the conference make the contracts public in accordance with Florida’s Public Records Act. The contracts are at the heart of legal wrangling between FSU and the ACC over the school’s efforts to leave the conference and any fines or penalties associated with the departure.”

AG Moody herself stated, “Our office’s legal action has resulted in an agreement from the ACC to produce secret media contracts that are at the heart of the legal wrangling between FSU and the ACC. The conference refused to provide media contracts that detail the impact to FSU if it departs the conference, but now they are rightfully handing over these public records. We will continue to fight for transparency.”

According to AG Moody, it seems clear that Floridians will be able to access these documents.

However, the ACC and FSU recently agreed to basically the same terms, but only Florida State’s legal team would be able to view the contracts for 60 days, and they must return or destroy them during that period.

Should the public be able to see the documents like AG Moody insinuates, how will this affect the agreement between FSU and the ACC?

Referring to Moody’s statement, Michael McCann of Sportico, a website dedicated to the business side of sports — writes:

“Whether the public sees these contracts, or at least redacted versions of them, remains to be seen. The extent of public access will comply with the agreement reached by Moody and the ACC. Like public records laws in other states, Florida exempts categories of confidential information from disclosure obligations.”

- Michael McCann, Sportico

What does seem clear is that the public will be able to view at least parts of these important agreements. How much of them, however, isn't clear in the slightest.

This is a developing story.

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