"How can FSU break the GOR anytime soon and not be financially strapped for years, paying off debt?" I think statements like this are also exaggerations of the reality. The actual amount of the exit fee will be nowhere near $120 million. And the buy-back of FSU's rights will be quicker and less costly than most predictions. Pitt, Syracuse, etc. will have to acknowledge, at some point, that the conference is crumbling. FSU's departure will be the first blow. The shared money from the exit fee and any settlement on the rights buy-back will be helpful to them. If the conference takes a hard stand in refusing to negotiate the GoR, these schools get zero. $25 million is better than zero. They will be in favor of settling the issue. If the amount is too high, Clemson and other schools will be deterred from following FSU. The Pitts of the world will want another round of departures by Clemson, UNC, Miami, whomever. They want the cost of leaving to be affordable (but not cheap) so that they can collect more exit fees, more rights buy-backs. We all think these less prominent programs fear a breakup of the conference. Maybe they do, but when the process is set in motion, they will milk the cow for every cent they can get. They will not resist the breakup. The latest rumor (reliable? don't know) says FSU planned to notify Phillips in 1Q '24. Now the word is that they will tell him sooner than that. In either case, the plan is to be out of this conference for the 2025 football season.