Florida State to SEC gets more validation from CFB insider amid rumors of a possible ACC fallout
Rumors of Florida State’s potential move to the Southeastern Conference strengthened as the Atlantic Coast Conference fallout loomed. The university has been actively working toward leaving the ACC for more than a year and is looking to finalize the process very soon.
College football insider Greg Swaim reported that the ACC might see several of its teams leave to join other Power Five conferences in no time. Although August 15 has been confirmed as the deadline for the exit, it is unknown which school will attempt to leave.
In the last couple of weeks, Florida State executives have shown their disappointment with the revenue-sharing model of the ACC, which doesn't reward the brand's marketability. The fact that they are tied to the fixed media revenue for the next 13 years also doesn't excite the university.
Will Florida State pay the large exit fee to join the SEC?
To join the SEC, Florida State will have to pay a sum of $120 million to the ACC as an exit fee. Without a doubt, this will be a record fee to depart a conference in the history of college sports. The fee stands in the way of many teams hoping to make their way out of the ACC.
However, considering what the Seminoles tend to gain from joining the SEC over time, paying the fee is worth it. Although the university is prepared to leave the ACC, it is unknown whether will pay the fee at once or in installments.
Notably, Florida State still has to challenge the grant of rights that belongs to ESPN in court. A move to SEC could make that easy as ESPN also owns the conference media rights.
Where could ACC teams land following an eventual fallout?
According to Greg Swaim, should a fallout occur, it is pretty difficult to predict the specific destination of ACC teams. However, both the SEC and Big Ten will vie for teams such as Florida State, Clemson, North Carolina, Virginia, and Miami, among others.
On the other hand, the Big 12 is looking to capture the remaining top four teams to round up its expansion. These potential school names are Louisville, Virginia Tech, North Carolina State, and Pittsburgh, which could bring the total to twenty teams in the conference.
The ACC may suffer the Pac-12 fate should a fallout occur in the next few days. However, the conference leadership hopes the huge exit fee and grant of rights will barricade the way of teams attempting to depart.