SAD DEPARTURE: JUST NOW COACH Mike Norvell ANNOUNCED HIS DEPARTURE TODAY…
Will Florida State trigger another round of college conference realignment?
The school scheduled an emergency meeting for its Board of Trustees on Friday. That is the first step toward a possible exit strategy for the Seminoles from the ACC.
Will that actually happen? There are several hurdles – including the Grant of Rights agreement that runs through 2036 – that make such an exit complicated. Still, Florida State trustees were openly talking about leaving the conference before the undefeated Seminoles were excluded from the College Football Playoff this year.
Here is a look at why Florida State wants out, potential hold-ups and options for the school in the future
Florida State’s initial complaints involved the ACC’s revenue distribution model. The SEC and Big Ten have new television deals, and ESPN reported there is “expected to be a $30 to $40 million gap” per school between the ACC and those conferences.
That prompted a startling comment in early August from Florida State trustee Drew Weatherford, a former quarterback at the school. “It’s not a matter of ‘if we leave,’ in my opinion,” he said. “It’s a matter of when and how we leave.”
Florida State finished 13-0 this season and won the ACC championship, but became the first unbeaten Power 5 team to be left out of the College Football Playoff. That controversial decision also is a factor in the Seminoles discussing a potential exit strategy. While the 12-team CFP will open up playoff spots for the four major conferences (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12), the at-large bids likely would favor Big Ten and SEC schools.
According to The Athletic: “The school would likely need board approval before filing a complaint against its own conference, with trustees taking part in that major decision as key constituents.”
Is that battle looming?
ACC schools signed a Grant of Rights deal – one that stipulates ESPN would fund the ACC Network – that keeps them in agreement through the life of a contract that runs through 2036. Even if Florida State strikes a deal with another conference, all media money belongs to the ACC until the contract expires. This would require a legal battle to challenge.
Last May, there were reports Clemson, Florida State, Miami, North Carolina, NC State, Virginia and Virginia Tech were among the ACC schools exploring how unbreakable that Grant of Rights deal is. The ACC also added three new members in Cal, Stanford and SMU for the 2024 season, so it’s possible the conference knows a few schools might be ready to challenge that deal.
“When I say we have a handle on the grant of rights … We have gotten a lot of counsel on that document,” Florida State board chairman Peter Collins said last summer. “That will not be the document that keeps us from taking action.”
If Florida State tries to leave the ACC, then what would the next course of action be? A look at the three most logical options – though it’s worth noting the SEC and Big Ten have not expressed interest in further expansion at this time.
