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FSU football: Why Michael Alford’s chess move on the ACC was powerful

By Kelvin Hunt

Florida State University Athletic Director Michael Alford stands on the sidelines as the war chant is played by the Marching Chiefs before kickoff of the game between the Seminoles and the Clemson Tigers at Doak Campbell Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022.Alford003
Florida State University Athletic Director Michael Alford stands on the sidelines as the war chant is played by the Marching Chiefs before kickoff of the game between the Seminoles and the Clemson Tigers at Doak Campbell Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022.Alford003 /
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Perception

Many folks believe programs in the ACC have no way out until their contract expires with ESPN in 2036. The schools signed a Grant of Rights until that year that almost everyone thinks is ironclad.

It may be but think of it like a baseball pitcher throwing 105 mph. Everyone will think that pitcher is unhittable until someone is willing to get in the batter’s box and try to hit that 105 mph fastball.

FSU got in the batter’s box Friday and that will change the perception with at least one other valuable football program, and that’s Clemson. Clemson knows that if FSU finds a way out of the ACC, they can’t be left in the cold, so they’ll eventually join FSU in the batter’s box.

I wouldn’t be shocked if Clemson hasn’t already been trying to do things behind the scenes and just haven’t gone public with their dissatisfaction with things in the ACC the way FSU has.

Once they decide to do that, perception changes even more because the ACC knows it is nothing without those two programs. We have to remember it’s a long game. FSU isn’t going to leave the ACC today or tomorrow, but it’ll be more like a five year plan.

That fastball won’t be 105 mph five more years. Every year we get closer to 2036, which means it’ll cost FSU less to leave.

Alford putting this information out now lets other conferences(SEC and B1G) know two things: FSU is willing to leave the ACC and how much value the FSU football brand carries even though it’s been operating far below FSU standards for five of the last six seasons.

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