All was well with the Pac he said until it wasn't. When the Pac broke up, he went into hiding. He is back again with his fancy graphs and charts. The best of all time was his chart of realignment schools if you were picking on a playground. Who was his #1? Michigan? Nope. Ohio State, Texas, Georgia? Nope. He would pick Stanford. Great school with academics and minor sports. But both are near immaterial in this realignment world. His twitter (X) photo is about 20 years dated too.

For a year he told everyone the PAC 12 would survive and thrive. Anyone who questioned him was called every name in the book.

This delta bravo was wrong about everything related to the Pac-12 blowup. And he's wrong about almost everything here. 1. In a way, this is somewhat of a zero sum game. If the ACC loses FSU to the P2, the gap between the ACC and the big time gets even wider. 2. None of this happens in a vacuum. If the ACC lets FSU out, it WILL be viewed as weaker (i.e., devalued in the future). 3. He mentioned that it has to be done in a way that won't make others want to go. Oh? How exactly is that done? The only difference between Clemson and FSU right now is that FSU is crying, and Clemson is quiet. When Clemson and others see that crying will get you a "deal", well, get ready for a lot more crying. 4. He leaves out perhaps the most material point. How much would "a deal" look like? 450 million? 200 million? 100 million? The amount matters. And if it isn't enough to split 16 or so ways and have it move the needle for individual schools, then what's the point in making a deal? 5. He seems to not have a stomach for conflict and bad PR. "The ACC and FSU both look bad. So make a deal." I got news for him. Both will look bad after a deal as well. But one party will make out and the other won't. And I have a feeling that in a deal, the ACC would be the one to get hosed. 6. His liddle sojourn down Tobacco Road memory lane was quaint, and foolish. The P2 have accumulated almost all the massive brands in the sport, not to mention time zones, TV markets, and large states. Meanwhile, this dolt is talking about Tobacco Road, which encompasses a few medium sized states, as being undervalued. Really? Pray tell, who will pony up and pay the ACC what this dude thinks they're worth? 7. He makes another flaw in logic by acting like it's a big deal to be #3 in the conference arms race. But this isn't a rank-order game. Track position doesn't matter. It's all about one conference's total value versus another. And right now, "Number 3" is getting lapped by Number 2 and Number 1. So who cares how close Number 4 is. Yeah. I know the ACC might want to hide things and prevent this from going to trial. But I think they need to go to the mat here. Any deal other than something very close to the full price of the exit costs will just lead to the ACC breaking up anyway. So, the ACC might as well go to the mat. ** Edited by Maroon Baboon at 2/28/2024, 11:35:18 PM

$ amount. If I were to guess, I would say $250m-$350m range. There is absolutely no way this gets litigated - none whatsoever.

1. As noted below, Clemson and UNC will be even less enthused about the ACC if FSU leaves, Clemson particularly. Arguably, FSU and Clemson are the only big football brands in the ACC, whereas the SEC and B1G have several. 2. The ACC will be earning about the same per school in TV money as the Big 12 for the foreseeable future, with the ACC position being slightly better due to Stanford and Cal taking reduced shares and SMU getting no share. There will be no big ACC-Big 12 TV money gap on a per-school basis. 3. If FSU leaves, ESPN could decline to continue the ACC TV deal during the upcoming look-in (2026?), if reports that it can decline are correct. If ESPN does so, the GOR is defunct because it only grants to the ACC TV rights sufficient to perform the ACC-ESPN contract. Would ESPN still continue that TV deal with FSU gone and with Stanford/Cal/SMU diluting the ratings power of the remaining matchups? We don't know. Not a flaw but a thought: If the ACC allows one member to escape the GOR in exchange for a payment, does that give the other schools (e.g., Clemson) a strong legal argument that the GOR is thereby nullified because part of the deal was that FSU was also tied in? Stated differently, why should a school remain bound when the crown jewel football property (accept that for argument's sake) is no longer there? The prestige of the conference is lowered, and the prospect of selling more tickets when FSU comes to town is gone.

I believe UNC reported they made $33M last year (2022-23) in media rights revenue. The new Big 12 deal starts in 2025 and averages $31.6M annually. With the annual increases in the ACC deal and Cal/Stanford/SMU subsidies the existing ACC schools will be well ahead of the Big 12.

important to you, but from where I'm sitting, the two conferences will be relatively close moving into the future - close enough that there will be no teams in the current P4 clamoring to get into the ACC over the B12. We don't know how FSU plays out, or others in the conference for that matter. The look in by ESPN will be key in '26, and I'm thinking that if schools leave the conference, they will have announced by then. Comparing the ACC payout vs the B12 payout is an exercise in futility. 1. We don't know who will be in the ACC moving forward. 2. We don't know what the contract will be through 2036. 3. It will not make a bit of difference unless the disparity is significant enough for teams to actually consider moving to the ACC, or the B12. 4. You can have the bragging rights, but really, it doesn't matter. 5. None of this is the B12's fault. It's pure survival.

...throughout the life of the Big 12 contract. That is, of course, assuming ESPN extends the current deal stays in tact. If not, then obviously all bets are off. Assuming the ACC deal stays intact as-is, I think the new Big 12 deal (after 2031) would need to see a ~150% increase to keep pace. Lots to be decided between now and then, though.

clearly has better football brands at the top, and I'm still perplexed on how the B12 got the contract they did after OUT announced their departure. Remember, the B12 did not have the four corners at that time, and the PAC was intact. I know there are many that think ESPN or other powers wanted to implode the PAC, but I still believe that it was an unintended consequence of USCLA being poached by the BIG. At this point in the game (and it changes daily), I don't see the ACC landing a contract that puts them significantly above the B12 - not a chance. The ACC will in all likelihood lose FSU, and at least one to three more, and IF that happens, there is no way that the ACC gets a contract that is 25% more than the B12. Not dissing the schools here, but there will only be 2 conferences with the type of numbers the P2 has, and then there will be the B12 and ACC. I don't see the ACC imploding like the PAC, but I was taken off guard, and totally surprised when the PAC folded. I sincerely think that we need 4 "P" conferences, but I'm not the one writing the checks. If it goes to 3 "P" conferences, it will not matter what you call it - the ACC or the B12. It will be a national conference of the leftovers, and the playoff chances will be even more limited than what is being reported today.

one in San Francisco too🌁 Come on man!!! He’s either hooked to FSU or one of the ACC private schools IMHO.

.... "Then, I read another diatribe from a South Tampa ambulance chaser FSU alum about how the ‘Noles have uncovered new doctored photos from the Russian SVR of former ACC Commish Swofford’s secret love child having a coke orgy on Hunter Biden’s laptop and, oh boy, now FSU is about to “Release the Kraken,” since Hugo Chavez is ran the CFP’s voting machines and, and tomorrow that “My Pillow guy” will uncover Jim Phillips’ secret Nigerian birth certificate from deep within Raycom HQ"

and decent points but I don't see the rest of the ACC uniting into a cohesive happy conference just because they split up a short term windfall from a FSU exit fee. Good luck convincing Clemson especially to just be happy being having 3rd best conference payouts given the neighborhood they reside in.

would suggest that, at this point in time, as shills. If things change, they can get back to us.

All this legal stuff is just an expensive negotiation for when they leave and how much it costs them.

#4) A deal doesn't let others out, too. He said the big money settlement would help greatly That would help close the money difference between ACC & the P2. Also, the ESPN would need to step up also. Well, Doing a deal with FSU to get rid of them, IMO, sets a precedence. If Clemson, or UNC , or anyone else wants to leave, how can ACC stop them, as long as the exit money is the same? #6) Culture always trumps strategy. He lauded the culture of the relative compact ACC, beginning with Tobacco Road, etc. Well that Culture has taken hits over the years. I'm thinking of you BC & Syracuse. Also that culture ship just 3 torpedo hits with the invite of Cal, Stanford, and SMU.

I don't know if it is possible to let FSU depart and keep everybody else in the fold (I'm looking at you, Clemson). But if so, it would make sense for all involved for FSU to go their own way, minus a hefty exit fee

And Stanfird in. Would need teams to keep conference viable, expense of longer litigation helps nobody. The Gor was effective but ultimately won't achieve the primary goal of maintaining the conference. It did put the conference in position to vanish with the B12 beating the ACC to the expansion punch.

the GOR - thinking it was the be all and end all answer. When, instead, they should have seen the threat and moved earlier by expanding. Two-three years ago there was talk of an ACC-PAC merger but according to reports the ACC U Presidents did not like the geo fit. Well..... where did that get them.. expansion with PAC schools that were the less than desirable PAC teams

the ACC was discussed, as well as the other programs including WVU. If the ACC falters, it will not be because of athletics, but because of the "club" University presidents belong too.

a portion of the ACC's content, and get a similar relationship like the B12 has. An ACC minus only FSU is more valuable then the B12 in it's current configuration IMHO. FOX seems to like the basketball content more than ESPN (opinion), and adding UConn, might be enough content to raise the media payouts to more than the B12. I don't care which conference gets the 3rd best media contract, as it still puts us all behind the P2 - but it gives us all a fighting chance to win on the field and court.

be content to put on the ACCN. I'm just saying that maybe the content is worth more that they are getting now, and ESPN could spread the risk by allowing FOX to bid on some content.

At that point it is just Espn+ programming

to the ACCN? Seems like it just us old people subscribing to the cable packages that have all of the college conference networks. While the network is valuable, I'm not sure i would hang my hat on that as the landscape seems to be changing, and changing fast.