negotiable as you say, the ability of ESPN to make an offer the ACC can't refuse may not be anywhere near as simple as that. First, ESPN's present business situation calls into question exactly how much cash they might be able to come to the table with. More problematic for ESPN is the optics of essentially picking a winner and a loser amongst two properties under its sole control and that are both functioning entities operating profitably, although not equivalently. That situation differs from the Big 12 because it was shared with FOX, had long been somewhat dysfunctional and, most relevantly, the Longhorn Network was a cash albatross for ESPN that they needed a solution for sooner rather than later. I would very seriously doubt most people watching these events unfold really believe that 2036 Locomotive is more than a pipedream. 2033 is the realistic outer stretch limit, with 2030/2031 coinciding with the last lookin and conference deals coming around for renewal as the last chance for the ACC to move as a conference being more likely. The real question is 2026 and the ongoing CFP negotiations and next lookin for the ACC. Anything happening before then signifies some other major shift in the landscape likely not driven by any of the ACC schools rumored to be contemplating departure. The TV partners and the P2 will be very deliberate given the risks of litigation and legislation surrounding more aggressive actions. Some of this is my own opinion and some has been shared with me by people who have been at the table in the past and will likely be at the table in the future with ties to the ACC and/or the SEC. ** Edited by 2hhoop3 at 9/28/2023, 5:18:24 PM