FSU football fans are sick of the ACC and desperately want to get out of the inferior conference. FSU administration recognized the conference had fallen behind the other major conferences and in a big-picture move, sued the ACC in December 2023.
The hope was that FSU could escape from the conference altogether, or at the very least, somehow get more money from the conference since they were the top brand in TV viewership over the past decade.
If not, FSU would be locked into the ACC contract through 2036, falling further and further behind teams in the B1G and SEC. That would make them uncompetitive in attracting top players in all sports and coaches, thus eventually making FSU an afterthought among elite programs.
The lawsuit was never going to be a quick process, with most expecting FSU to pay an astronomical fee to leave the conference at some point, most likely after 2026. There was a fork in the road, ESPN's decision to extend its agreement with the conference onr not by February 1, 2025. If ESPN decided against the extension, FSU would be free to leave after 2027.
The ACC-ESPN extension paves the way for the league to potentially finalize a settlement with Clemson & FSU that would keep them in the conference under possible Grant-of-Rights & revenue changes, as @YahooSports reported in September.
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) January 30, 2025
The sides have been negotiating for months.
The reports are ESPN will extend the deal through the original 2036 date.
What Does This Mean For FSU?
My guy below(who is an attorney) breaks it down:
🚨🚨 ESPN/ACC/FSU/Clemson Law Suit Update! 🚨🚨
— RohanLaw (@RohanLawPC) January 30, 2025
Hail Mary pass is dropped by Clemson and FSU. But :01 remains on the clock!
I was hopeful that the pressure of 2/1/2025 would break the stalemate in the litigation. It appears the parties are trending towards a resolution, but… https://t.co/44ugF1KGmi
In other words, FSU will remain in the ACC but could receive more money from the conference and may have opportunities to leave the conference before the original 2036 date. In other words, the FSU lawsuit may have at least gotten FSU more financial support and the opportunity to leave the conference early.
That would be a win, otherwise, FSU wouldn't have gotten any more money and would have been guaranteed to be stuck in the ACC until 2036. However, we won't know all of the details of anything until the parties finish negotiating and find a resolution. As with most negotiations, both sides will have to concede some things. We'll have to have patience as those details become available.
I wouldn't be so quick to say FSU leadership failed in this situation. It looks like they at least forced the ACC/ESPN to make some notable changes that could benefit FSU.
Look at it this way. FSU can get more money to remain competitive with teams in the SEC/B1G while remaining in a conference that provides an easier path to the College Football Playoffs. If they can't win the ACC, then they have no shot to compete for a National Title anyway.