Florida State leaving ACC looks imminent as Seminoles become an epicenter of conference realignment on the East Coast
Florida State has been vocal about its intention to leave the Atlantic Coast Conference for more than a year. The university is unhappy with the league's revenue-sharing model and wants to explore its options in other Power Five conferences.
According to college football insider C.W. Lambert, FSU’s strategy to exit the ACC involves creating substantial agitation, potentially compelling the ACC to release the Seminoles at a reduced cost. The league exit fee stands at $120 million.
Should the league remain adamant, the Seminoles plan on generating enough apprehension about the conference's future that eight schools unite with them to effectively dismantle the ACC. This could eventually bring the fate of the Pac-12 upon the conference.
Florida State will be a candidate for the Big Ten and SEC
College football insider Greg Swaim believes there will be a battle between the Big Ten and Southeastern Conference to get Florida State. The Seminoles are a storied college football program, and the two conferences will aim to take advantage of their influence.
Getting out of the ACC appears to be the only thing standing in the way of FSU from joining either of the two biggest conferences. Aside from paying a huge exit fee, the university also has to challenge the grant of rights belonging to ESPN in the court.
Despite the difficulty attached to exiting the ACC, the university continues to intensify its plan to leave. The Seminoles believe this will put them in a better place to stay competitive in the college sports landscape and ensure financial stability going forward.
Will the ACC let the Seminoles leave at a discounted fee?
Florida State is one of the ACC's most influential members,and there's a lot the school could orchestrate within the conference. The league is obviously aware of this, and it somehow gives the Seminoles leverage in negotiating a discounted exit fee.
However, the ACC will be wary of what could happen should Florida State be allowed to leave, paying less than the actual $120 million. This could see other top schools within the conference, such as Clemson, move to get the same privilege and could slowly break down the league.
Many ACC universities are not happy with the fact that they are tied to $30 million revenue in media money for the next 13 years. A good obviously harbor the will to leave, which puts the league in a difficult situation in the expansion and realignment landscape.