Report: SEC, Big Ten Showing Little Interest in Adding FSU and Clemson
The turbulent talks of conference realignment have made the 2023 off-season interesting to some, nail-biting to others, and have become a possible reality check for some institutions seeking greener pastures in the 'big business' of college athletics.
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Earlier this month, Florida State University and its Board of Trustees met to discuss what is unfolding to be a dire situation regarding the financial gap between the ACC, SEC, and Big Ten.
"I believe FSU, at some point, will have to very seriously consider leaving the ACC unless there was a radical change to the revenue distribution," FSU President Richard McCullough stated to the Board.
Recently, CBS Sports' Dennis Dodd released a report on not just Florida State's situation but on how the rest of the conferences will survive in the wake of two "super conferences," the SEC and Big Ten. According to Dodd, neither of the two desire to add any of the flagship programs along the Atlantic Coast.
Industry sources repeat that there is not much desire by either conference to add the likes Clemson, Florida State, etc. Not that the ACC's seemingly "ironclad" grant of rights agreement would allow such movement.
The "ironclad" agreement that Dodd refers to has had FSU and other ACC schools in arms as they stand to make over $30 million a year less for the next 13 years than the other conferences until their grant of rights agreement ends in 2036. That excludes the fact that within that timeframe, the SEC and Big Ten will have already negotiated another contract with their respective networks, and those numbers could be exponentially higher.
While the ACC has appeared to scramble with the situation, talks of adding Stanford and Cal to the conference seem to have halted.
Expansion in the ACC requires a yes vote from 75% of presidents (12 of 15), but Clemson, FSU, North Carolina and NC State voted nay.
Florida State has until the end of August 15 to notify the conference that it will be departing to compete elsewhere the following academic year alongside paying off its contract, a $120 million exit fee, and whatever legal costs ensue.
Wherever the ACC and the Seminoles stand after it is all said and done remains unknown; however, the two will remain synonymous for now.
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