How much is the ACC's TV deal worth, and when does it expire? Exploring the rumors around realignment and expansion
The ACC's TV deal was agreed to in 2016 and runs through the 2036 season, which has made programs like Florida State uncomfortable.
During the 2020-2021 season, the programs covered by the ACC's TV deal got around $40 million each.
The Atlantic Coast Conference has recently agreed to a deal to air football and basketball on the CW network.
ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum explained one of the reasons why some programs are looking to jump ship and it's tied to the ACC TV deal worth.
"Leaving, like today," Finebaum said. "Would they have someplace to go? Yes, they would. Clearly, the ACC is struggling right now, and they're struggling for a lot of reasons. Primarily because they have a TV deal that doesn't end until 2036.
"Meanwhile, you see the Pac-12 schools scrambling like roaches at night. The Big Ten has shown indications it could add a few more."
This is the chart that explains projected TV rights distributions by league.
Note: the ACC actually beat this projection for 2023 and paid out an average of $39.4.
Also, the ACC is projected to surpass the Big 12’s newly negotiated rights deal in 2026. However the Big 12 will… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… pic.twitter.com/osCaS5MsuZ
Does realignment affect the ACC's TV deal?
The conference realignment and expansion games have impacted the Pac-12 more than ACC but some of its elite programs are getting antsy.
Since 2015, Clemson is the only program outside of the SEC to have won the national championship in football. Understandably, it's a big draw and has been linked with a move to the Big Ten, whose deal the ACC's TV deal doesn't come close to.
FSU president Richard McCullough has already threatened to leave the conference unless some immediate changes are instituted in ACC's TV deal.
"This continues to be a very difficult issue," he said. "There's a lot going on in the world of conference realignment. My current assessment of the situation after very deep analysis is I believe FSU will have to at some point consider very seriously leaving the ACC unless there were a radical change to the revenue distribution."
ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum discussed the ideal scenario for FSU were it to leave the ACC:
"The FSU president and the board yesterday, it was an unprecedented meeting, essentially saying, 'Hey, somebody come save us.' The most likely prospect is the SEC. And don't forget there are other schools in the ACC who are not happy. "
The Seminoles are apparently negotiating a $300 million buyout with the ACC, which would make it the most expensive exit deal in college history.
The ACC has watched in horror as the Pac-12 under commissioner George Kliavkoff has failed to agree to a media deal. The domino effect has been a mad stampede for the gates with programs being cherry-picked by the Big Ten and Big 12.
The ACC's TV deal signed in 2016 now looks like a bad idea as programs see the amounts being made elsewhere which dwarf their annual deals.
The last chance saloon for both conferences is a merger that will create a mini-superconference.