FSU football: Leaving the ACC is paramount for the Noles

FSU football saw its College Football Playoff hopes destroyed by a 13-person committee on Sunday afternoon as they placed an undefeated ACC champion Florida State Seminoles at the No. 5 spot, while a one-loss SEC champion Alabama Crimson Tide moved up from No. 8 to No. 4.

Unfortunately, the top-four final College Football Playoff rankings consisted of the following teams:

1. Michigan (Big Ten)
2. Washington (soon-to-be Big Ten)
3. Texas (soon-to-be SEC)
4. Alabama (SEC)

Do you spot the trend associated with the rankings?

The SEC and Big Ten conferences have been two leagues that have garnered attention in college football. In terms of revenue, each school in the conferences makes over 50+ million dollars per year while the ACC makes roughly 30 million dollars per year. With that being said, how can you expect conference powerhouses such as Florida State and Clemson to keep up with such a revenue gap when teams like Vanderbilt are gaining an abundance of resources?

The Grant of Rights, which is where the ACC owns broadcast rights for teams in the conference, is in place until 2036. Ultimately, it was supposed to provide long-term stability for the conference as a whole but has turned into a disaster. The Seminoles would like to have to pay a massive buy-out unless a bunch of teams in the conference decide to stand together to break it.

Florida State has been at the forefront of motivating the conference to change its revenue model. Athletic director Michael Alford has consistently showcased the Seminoles’ ability to generate viewership numbers where it is clear that Florida State is a national brand that individuals are heavily interested in.

The program itself is not afraid of making uncomfortable situations in terms of giving the Seminoles the best chance to be successful in today’s college football landscape. With the renovations to Doak Campbell Stadium, the construction of the football-only facility, the extension of head football coach Mike Norvell, and much more, Florida State has proved that it is ready to compete with anyone.

After what transpired with the committee’s decision of Sunday afternoon (my blood pressure is still settling down after the rankings reveal), the Seminoles understand that they can no longer be associated with the ACC anymore. The final kiss of death has been brought upon the ACC once and for all.

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