Clemson leaving ACC rumors intensify as NC judge reportedly denies Tigers' plea to stay in lawsuit
The Clemson Tigers have been involved in a lawsuit with the Atlantic Coast Conference for a while as they seek to leave ACC. However, there was a major update on the case that could suggest the direction it could end up taking.
David Hood of Tiger Net is reporting that the North Carolina judge who heard the motion by Clemson has released his judgment. In it, he stated that the case regarding Clemson leaving ACC needs to continue in the state of North Carolina.
That is a massive victory for the conference as both sides want to have 'home field' for the case. North Carolina Business Court Chief Judge Louis A. Bledsoe III released his findings and denied a motion to stay.
In that, he said the decision emphasized the need for uniform interpretation of the ACC Grant of Rights as well as the conference's bylaws and constitution.
Bledsoe also decided that North Carolina is the appropriate venue for the case as procedural chaos could result with conflicting rulings from different state courts.
The judgment also stated that even though Clemson filed first, it does not allow for deference as it does not mean a substantial injustice to Clemson.
What does this mean for Clemson leaving ACC?
There is a lot to come out of just this one decision, but what this means is that the probability of Clemson leaving the ACC has dropped significantly. While there still is the possibility of the courts ruling in favor of Clemson, this seemingly was the decision that the Atlantic Coast Conference was looking for.
Judge Bledsoe ruled that North Carolina has jurisdiction over Florida State, Clemson and the ACC, and they can provide binding clarity. That means neither Florida State nor Clemson have this case happening in their state.
Clemson leaving ACC became a lot less likely and that will have an effect on conference realignment in the future.
While this does not mean anything in terms of the Grant of Rights, the ACC must be happy with the decision that Judge Bledsoe has given. North Carolina courts give the conference the advantage over both schools now.