Big 10, SEC, Big 12 File Brief Joining ACC Requesting ESPN Agreement Confidentiality

The brief was filed in the case brought forward by Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody (R).

Oct 25, 2023; Charlotte, NC, USA; ACC commissioner Jim Phillips speaks to the media during the ACC Tipoff at Hilton Charlotte Uptown. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports / Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

The Big 10, the Southeastern Conference (SEC), and the Big 12 have joined together in filing an amicus brief “in support of the Atlantic Coast Conference’s (“ACC”) Response to the Order to Show Cause,” or, in other words, they agree that the ACC should not have to share the contents of its secretive media rights deal with ESPN.

READ MORE: Kickoff Time Announced For FSU Football's Road Matchup With Notre Dame Fighting Irish

So, what does this mean? Well, it doesn’t necessarily mean much from a legal standpoint unless it is upheld in court. However, it does mean that the conferences are banding together against Attorney General Ashley Moody (R), and therefore, the State of Florida.

The conferences – according to attorney Doug Rohan – make a good argument in that conferences must disclose their earnings but factors (other than just the notion of who and how controls the media rights of sporting events) such as the amount and timing of commercials, benefits available to corporate sponsors, rights to statistics displayed on screen, the game scheduling process, production costs, etc. per the amicus brief.

The financial terms of the agreement are only part of the details and there are a number of other items that should be maintained confidential... pic.twitter.com/Obr54YuBIT

— RohanLaw (@RohanLawPC) May 30, 2024

“Requiring disclosure of those media agreements would make the conferences’ confidential strategies available to their competitors and other potential contracting counterparties,” the brief stated.

However, should the judge rule with the conferences, it would negate the idea of the State of Florida maintaining its “sovereign immunity” when its public institutions deal with businesses such as the ACC.

The Atlantic Coast Conference argues that neither Florida State nor the Sunshine State taxpayers deal with the conference, therefore not making it a legitimate party in this case, as there’s “no commingling of public and private monies.”

This is a developing story.

READ MORE: High-Profile Defensive Back Decommits From FSU Football After One Month

Stick with NoleGameday for more coverage of Florida State University throughout its ongoing legal battle with the ACC.

Follow NoleGameday on and Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok