CFB insider claims FSU leaving the ACC might lead to pro-style 32-team leagues with playoffs
FSU leaving the ACC could be happening, and we could hear news about it as soon as Tuesday. Why Tuesday? Well, Tuesday is the cutoff date for teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference to announce if they intend to leave before the 2024 college football season.
College football insider Jim Williams tweeted about the implications for college football if FSU's departure from the ACC is announced. He believes it can change the entire college football landscape.
"If FSU tomorrow figures out a way to exit the ACC then we might see a new college football landscape. I think UCLA coach Chip Kelly was right when he said the top 64 top programs in football should not be linked to a conference and allowed to be split into 32 team leagues with playoffs - He is talking a pro style option and maybe tomorrow FSU could lead that way."
If what he was linking to Chip Kelly happens, that is definitely a major shift in college football. However, this is a sport that is constantly changing and has the most criticized playoff structure of all sports. Can this actually work, or is this just a pipe dream?
If FSU leaves the ACC, where would they end up going?
FSU leaving the ACC seems like an inevitability at this point, as they have been unhappy for a while. Earlier this month, Florida State University president Richard McCullough discussed his unhappiness with the current ACC media deal and the money it generates for the school.
"We of course are not satisfied with our current situation. We love the ACC. We love our programs at ESPN. Our goal would be to continue to stay in the ACC but staying in the ACC under the current situation is hard for us to figure out how we remain competitive unless there was a major change in the revenue distribution within the conference in the ACC conference itself." H/t AL.com
It has also been clear that the Seminoles are not the only ACC team unhappy, as eight schools in the conference have been at this same point. It would be interesting to see where Florida State winds up if they leave, but the Southeastern Conference seems like an obvious fit.
One thing is that they would need a partner to go with them and the Clemson Tigers would be that pairing. This seems to be the likely outcome and feels more like a when than an if.