Does ESPN have any motivation to blow up the ACC? Give me the numbers if you think so, but make sure you include the following. How do they make more money blowing the ACCN? How do they make money by letting FSU and Clemson go to the B1G? How do they make more money if they get FSU and Clemson in SEC by paying them more? How do they make more money by paying any ACC school more money in the SEC? How do they make more money not having the SEC versus ACC basketball challenge? How do they make more money by blowing up the ACC and losing ND for 2-3 football games a year and all Olympic sports? Why can’t they just do an SEC versus ACC football challenge like basketball in week zero, and make a lot of money? In other words, show me the money to ESPN by blowing up the ACC. ** Edited by Stech at 5/7/2024, 11:18:41 AM

Centered on the FSU/ACC lawsuits and pointed out how in 4 months the court jurisdiction for those lawsuits is not yet been legally decided. Also said the cases likely will never be decided in a court of law but that will take years to become evident. Pointed out several times that the attorneys were the only winners. Which is exactly right. The TV Deal expiring on June 30, 2027, is the most likely culprit to end the ACC. Just like FOX/ESPN teamed up to end the PAC. Big Media wants 3 large media contracts for college football. With all the best match-ups for the advertising dollars.

but members will know the ACC’s fate by February of 2025. If FSU and Clemson are no longer members of the conference, the odds that ESPN will extend the media rights contract goes down significantly IMO. Seeking new media rights partners in this market that will match what ESPN was willing to pay would be difficult but not impossible.

That the ESPN media rights contract has a stated term ending in 2035/36 but with a lookin that was most likely designed to take the temperature of the ACCN after it was up and running. ESPN really has to do nothing to keep the existing contract in force until 2035/36. If they choose to do something different, then ESPN action seems to be needed.

73. For reasons never explained to FLORIDA STATE, the 2016 ACC Tier I Agreement granted ESPN a unilateral option to extend that Agreement with its already out-of-market rates an additional nine years beyond its expiration on June 30, 2027, or until 2036 (the “Unilateral ESPN Nine-Year Option”). 74. As a result, although the 2016 ACC Tier I Agreement locked down the ACC members for an unheard of 24 years (through 2036) at Tier I rates negotiated in 2012 (capped at 4.5% annual growth), which rendered the ACC unable to “market” its media rights for the period from 2027 to 2036, the Unilateral ESPN Nine-Year Option left ESPN free to walk away from the ACC (even at those below market rates) during that same nine year period.

So that is their spin. The authorized person for FSU signed over the right to negotiate for all the teams in the conference. There is a difference in an explanation and trying to "find" an explanation you want.

Oklahoma, Nebraska, Missouri and even Colorado for 12 years. The B12 is heavy with former G5 schools now, and survived, those 4-5 are better than FSU and Clemson, you sure your prediction isn’t just spite for the ACC for not inviting WVU? ** Edited by Stech at 5/7/2024, 9:35:29 AM

and there have been many, but that doesn’t change the reality of what is currently happening to the ACC and it’s members. If you honestly believe that the ACC will survive with the loss of Clemson and FSU or believe that they will remain in the conference, then that is fair and you can put forth your opinion. It seems that a lot if not most posters on message boards throughout the ACC are disagreeing with your assertions. But to say that the ACC will survive because the Big 12 survived is really a “leap”. It’s a different time and different situation. The media rights market is different. Why does hate & spite have to be involved just because someone see conference realignment differently than you do? The media rights contract will end in 2027 without an extension from ESPN per FSU’s legal filings. That is no different than saying the media rights contract will end in 2036 with an extension from ESPN.

this point that ESPN is going to pull the plug because that’s what FSU wants, isn’t accurate. They may do that, but no one at this time in point knows that, and that’s the fact here. Second, I will keep repeating the Big 12 survived far worse, because it’s true. So there is a precedent that the ACC survives. Third, you don’t have a clue where I stand on what I want to happen, I have posted it repeatedly, but you stated none of it. Fourth, you are the one starting to spew the hate, if you say one nice thing about the ACC, it will be the first time. That tells me exactly where you stand and what your motivation is in your post.

The point of my post was to illuminate that ESPN must decide by February 2025 whether to extend the ACC media rights agreement or not, and to give my opinion on what the network might do if Clemson & FSU were no longer members of the conference. I have posted many links that were both favorable and unfavorable articles about the ACC and all of the other conferences involved in realignment. As you have pointed out to me in the past, you are not the moderator and therefore characterizing other posters as hateful and spiteful is nothing more than attempts to control what is being said. There was absolutely nothing hateful or spiteful about my original post and if you perceived otherwise please explain. I welcome your opinion about the ACC surviving after losing members based on the Big 12 surviving, but I don’t necessarily agree with your logic. Why not deal with the content of what is being posted and refrain from attempting to characterize it as something that it is not.

you. You have stated your opinion and I think that is great, I stated my opinion above to Bruno another Mountaineer who I have posted with over 10 years and enjoy his post. Please read that one and it will tell you where I stand. PS IMHO it was a huge miss for the ACC to not take WVU when they probably had at least two chances. If you read my post over the decades that I have been posting here, you will find I think their football scheduling has been horrendous and not taking football rabid schools like WVU has put them in the unenviable position they are in right now.

I don’t believe that I could of been any clearer on the following postings: “The ESPN media rights contract will end in 2027 without an extension, but members will know the ACC’s fate by February of 2025. If FSU and Clemson are no longer members of the conference, the odds that ESPN will extend the media rights contract goes down significantly IMO. Seeking new media rights partners in this market that will match what ESPN was willing to pay would be difficult but not impossible.” No spite. No hate. No plug pulling. Also, another way of trying to control what other posters say on message boards is to label a poster as a fan of a rival school, a fan of a different conference, a troll, etc. etc. IMHO, it is far better to address the content of what is being posted rather to spend time erroneously profiling other posters and erroneously interpreting what they are trying to communicate because of preconceived notions.

and especially for journalists and others who long to get an inside look at how these contracts work. It’d be not-so-good news for ESPN and the ACC, both of which have described the contract as a trade secret that warrants legal protection. Your quote doesn’t go with that copy and paste, from the article, where are you getting it from somewhere else? I am just trying to understand where you are getting this quote. It seems inconsistent with the article, which is saying they have not released the contract information, but wish they would release it, ** Edited by Stech at 5/7/2024, 8:55:01 PM

the predictions and see what happens or does not happen. The podcast idiots and trolls on this board make statements and then gain a case of amnesia when dates come to pass with no action. It has been that way since FSU began their public whining some 15 months ago. Things will happen when the media companies decide they are ready to write checks in furtherance of their long term plans. It's interesting to note that everybody looks at potential ESPN non-renewal as the death knell but, should the question be asked what happens if FOX or some other media(Apple, Amazon, etc.) decides to explore a bid? Unless the courts have invalidated the GOR before then things could get interesting and the cut and dry conclusions on exits for a cheaper price may not be a foregone reality. There are a lot of questions left to be answered and no one knows for certain where things will go and that is before all the litigation currently in process and some others likely yet to come are resolved. Take the trolls for what they are worth, humor.

Personal entertainment. FSU and Clemson can get what they want by paying all the fees that are noted in the contract/GOR. It's fun to watch the trolls (on both sides) pontificate as if they're F. Lee Bailey.

wild accusations based on what you want to happen. Prove the ACC/ESPN deal ends in 2027. Don't base in on what you want to happen. And the biggest proof would be the end date on the contract being in 2027. Why hasn't the idea of having a PAC not died? It is because there is a place for a mid level regional conference on the Pacific coast. Same for the Atlantic coast for the future ACC and in mid America for the XII.

Correct if I am wrong, but I didn’t see it in there at all.

shoulders. Right where it all belongs. That 2nd Paragraph was my take on all this. Sorry I didn't denote that for you. Getting hard to lay blame on those actually causing problems all across the internet. Saying "ESPN is Destroying college football" in a YouTube post will cause my post to become a shadow on YouTube, a shadow I can only ever see. I said the ACC would be committing "Suicide" to ever settle those lawsuits on YouTube last night. It became a shadow post. I deleted that shadow and reposted the same exact post without the "suicide" reference. It was then visible to all. YouTube is now for five year olds. ESPN is a Disney product. That is how sensitive the algorithms have now been tuned. You surely can no longer bash ESPN on YouTube. ESPN & Fox caused the PAC erasure. They denied the PAC a TV deal similar to the one just given to the Big 12. No media outlet rushed in to save the PAC. You can try to wrap blame on the B1G but Big Media is fueling all this. Why does ESPN have to increase payouts proportionally when new schools are added to a conference? The right thing to do? No, the right thing for college football would befor ESPN to say no. I think that is obvious. This all is ESPN & FOX's fault, they want all these schools in just three conferences to limit contracts but increase the popularity of content for high advertising rates. Now getting to the ACC. From what I have seen that ACC TV contract is in an extension phase, not a look-in phase. That means ESPN has to sign a contract extension by June 30, 2027, to extend that TV Deal to 2036. James Phillips himself brought the February, 2025 deadline date into all this. Phillips knew that contract expansion had become necessary for ESPN to sign back in 2022. Phillips was trying to put timeline pressure on ESPN. I see no reason that Phillips cannot just kick the can down the road on that TV deal signing until 2027. Phillips probably will. This about trolls and ACC haters. I think your biggest ACC hater is ESPN. All ESPN has to do is extend that TV Deal to 2036. Game over! However I doubt any media outlets help the ACC just like they refused the PAC. I think those lawsuits are just enriching attorneys, they will never accomplish nothing else but giving ESPN an excuse. Many on this board said that the GOR was iron clad & FSU was bluffing on any future lawsuits. Those people were wrong. ESPN signs that TV deal. I will be glad to admit I was wrong about ESPN. I will come to this board and admit that.

of what they said? TIA