9 months ago

Clemson joins Florida State, becomes second school to sue ACC as it seeks to exit conference

The AP Top 25 college football poll is back every week throughout the season! The complaint filed in Pickens County says the ACC’s “exorbitant $140 million” exit penalty and the grant of rights used to bind schools to a conference through their media rights should be struck down. “Each of these erroneous assertions separately hinders Clemson’s ability to meaningfully explore its options regarding conference membership, to negotiate alternative revenue-sharing proposals among ACC members and to obtain full value for its future media rights,” the school said in the lawsuit. “By espousing an inaccurate interpretation of the grant of rights agreements and allowing that interpretation to proliferate throughout the media, the ACC has cast a harmful cloud of doubt on Clemson’s ability to engage in meaningful discussions with other conferences and media providers regarding potential future collaborations and/or to negotiate alternative revenue-sharing proposals among ACC members,” Clemson said in the lawsuit. Florida State has been the most vocal critic of the ACC’s equal revenue distribution model, but Clemson has also been pushing for the conference to direct more money to its top brands, including North Carolina, Miami, Virginia Tech, Virginia and North Carolina State.

Football Media Florida School Rights North Carolina Schools Virginia State Members Conference Acc Florida State Espn Clemson Grant media clemson grant football florida joins second acc state schools exit sue rights members seeks school conference

History of this topic

3 months ago

ACC eyes revenue distribution models that could quell disputes with FSU, Clemson, AP sources say

Associated Press

Atlantic Coast Conference leaders are discussing new ways of divvying up media rights revenue that could potentially resolve legal disputes with Florida State and Clemson, two people familiar with the league’s internal talks told The Associated Press on Tuesday night. The discussions internally and with Florida State are an extension of a mediation session last month between the conference and …

3 months, 1 week ago

Florida State asks judge to rule on parts of suit against ACC, hoping for resolution without trial

Associated Press

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida State has asked a judge to decide key parts of its lawsuit against the Atlantic Coast Conference without a trial, hoping for a quicker resolution and path to a possible exit from the league. Florida State requested a partial summary judgment from Circuit Judge John Cooper in a 574-page document filed earlier this week in Leon …

4 months ago

Florida State, ACC complete court-ordered mediation as legal fight drags into football season

Associated Press

Florida State and the Atlantic Coast Conference completed mediation mandated by a Florida judge, according to a court filing posted Thursday, as the legal battle between the school and the league it has been a member of for 32 years appears poised to drag into the football season and beyond. Florida State Board of Trustees v. the Atlantic Coast Conference …

4 months, 1 week ago

ACC preview: No. 10 Florida St looking to back up last year’s breakthrough league title with CFP bid

Associated Press

The AP Top 25 college football poll is back every week throughout the season! “It sets the stage and opportunity for us to continue to push and continue to elevate this program to ultimately where it deserves to be,” Norvell said after leading Florida State to its first Atlantic Coast Conference title in nine years last season. 24 North Carolina …

6 months, 3 weeks ago

Power conferences join ACC in asking a Florida court to keep the league’s TV deals with ESPN private

Associated Press

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Three power conferences have joined the Atlantic Coast Conference in urging a Tallahassee court to keep the league’s TV deals with ESPN private. The Big Ten, the Big 12 and the Southeastern Conference filed a joint request in Leon County Circuit Court this week supporting the ACC’s claim that the documents must remain confidential to protect trade …

7 months, 1 week ago

ACC’s lawsuit against Florida State halted after North Carolina judge issues a stay in the case

Associated Press

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Atlantic Coast Conference’s lawsuit against member school Florida State has come to a temporary halt. North Carolina Chief Business Court Judge Louis Bledsoe III handed down a ruling Friday that puts a stay on all discovery and further court-related work on the case while FSU appeals to the North Carolina Supreme Court. “Under North Carolina law, …

7 months, 2 weeks ago

South Carolina court orders ACC to provide Clemson with ESPN agreements

Associated Press

CLEMSON, S.C. — A South Carolina court has ordered the Atlantic Coast Conference to turn over documents about its agreements with ESPN that Clemson has requested in its lawsuit against the conference. It said the ACC has seven days to produce unredacted documents about its TV deal with ESPN to Clemson. The order bars Clemson, a public university, from complying …

7 months, 4 weeks ago

Florida sues ACC seeking records in dispute with FSU over conference exit fees

Associated Press

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida’s attorney general sued the Atlantic Coast Conference on Thursday in an attempt to receive the media rights contracts with Florida State University as part of an ongoing dispute as FSU seeks to leave the conference. Attorney General Ashley Moody said the ACC has failed to turn over the contracts despite a public records request she made …

8 months, 2 weeks ago

Judge denies Florida State’s request to dismiss ACC’s lawsuit against the school

Associated Press

A judge in North Carolina on Thursday denied Florida State’s request to dismiss the Atlantic Coast Conference’s lawsuit against the school, which is trying to sue its way out of the league with a complaint in its home state. “Although it’s highly unusual for a court to dismiss a lawsuit at this initial stage, we are disappointed in the Court’s …

9 months ago

Judge expects ruling on jurisdiction, broadcasting rights in ACC-Florida State fight before April 9

Associated Press

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Atlantic Coast Conference and Florida State squared off in a courtroom for the first time Friday, following the member school’s push to exit the conference and explore a more lucrative landing spot elsewhere. That included president Rick McCullough telling school trustees in August that FSU would have to consider leaving unless there is a “radical change …

9 months ago

ACC sues Clemson in North Carolina, day after school filed lawsuit in South Carolina against league

Associated Press

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A day after Clemson sued the Atlantic Coast Conference, the ACC filed a lawsuit against the school in a North Carolina court, saying the school is breaking its agreements with the league by challenging its exit fees and contract that binds members through their media rights. “The ACC is a great conference, and this increases the national …

10 months, 1 week ago

Atlantic Coast Conference asks court to pause or dismiss Florida State’s lawsuit against league

Associated Press

The Atlantic Coast Conference asked a Florida court to pause Florida State’s lawsuit against the conference while the ACC’s claim against the school in North Carolina moves forward or dismiss the Seminoles’ case altogether, according to a filing submitted Friday. The ACC’s response to Florida State’s complaint came at the deadline set by the court and a week after the …

10 months, 3 weeks ago

Florida State takes aim at former ACC commissioner John Swofford in amended lawsuit against league

Associated Press

Florida State has personalized its legal battle with the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Seminoles filed an amended complaint against the league late Monday that alleges former commissioner John Swofford cost member schools millions of dollars by acting in the best interest of his son who worked at television partner Raycom Sports. FSU added the phrase “self-dealing” to its complaint, which …

11 months ago

ACC accuses Florida State of breaching contract and disclosing ‘trade secrets’ in amended lawsuit

Associated Press

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Atlantic Coast Conference accused Florida State of breach of contract Wednesday, saying the Seminoles broke promises when they legally challenged an agreement that binds the school to the league for the next dozen years. The ACC initially sued the Florida State Board of Trustees in North Carolina in late December, asking a court to uphold the …

1 year ago

Column: Florida State always seemed out of place in the ACC. Now the Seminoles want out

Associated Press

The AP Top 25 college football poll is back every week throughout the season! The ACC is vowing to hold Florida State to its end of the bargain over television rights, which would force the Seminoles to come up with a staggering pile of cash — the school’s legal counsel put the figure at $572 million — just to head …

1 year ago

Florida State has sued the ACC, setting the stage for a fight to leave over revenue concerns

Associated Press

The AP Top 25 college football poll is back every week throughout the season! “Today we’ve reached a crossroad in our relationship with the ACC,” Florida State Board of Trustees chairman Peter Collins said during a trustees meeting to approve the legal action. ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips and Virginia President Jim Ryan, chairman of the conference’s board of directors, said …

1 year, 4 months ago

ACC football preview 2023: Can anyone threaten Florida State and Clemson?

New York Times

Editor’s note: ACC presidents have voted to add Stanford, Cal and SMU It’s no secret that Florida State, Clemson and a few other schools in the Atlantic Coast Conference aren’t happy they’re about to fall behind in the race for TV dollars. Read all of our conference previews: American | Big Ten | Big 12 | Pac-12| MAC | Mountain …

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