FSU football: More data supporting why FSU must leave ACC

I wrote a year and a half ago about how FSU football was still one of the most-watched programs on TV despite some poor seasons on the field. FSU ranked No. 14 nationally from 2015-2019 with 2.23 million viewers per game. These numbers include the final year with Jimbo Fisher and the Willie Taggart debacle. FSU was in transition with leadership and not serious about football, it seemed. However, that's no longer the case, and the product on the field has transformed along with the ratings. However, I think it's fair to point out that FSU was 26-33 and still top 15 then. Fast forward to this season, and FSU went 13-0, winning the ACC Championship and amassing the highest TV ratings of any ACC team by far.

FSU averaged 4.16 million viewers per game in 2023. Clemson is the next closest ACC school at 2.90 million per game. A lot of talking heads in North Carolina laughed at FSU demanding more money from the conference. I'm not going to rehash the whys and growing revenue gap between the ACC and the SEC/B1G. However, this is the data FSU leaders were expressing when presenting their case. FSU pulled these numbers by playing scrub teams like Wake Forest(so much for that fastest-growing brand nonsense), Syracuse, Pittsburgh, and Boston College.

Miami and Duke are the only two ACC teams barely making the list. FSU and its brand are a large reason why the ACC got its current TV deal in the first place. The perception of the ACC is one reason why FSU got snubbed from the College Football Playoffs. FSU played a schedule comparable to or tougher than several schools in the top 10, but it's the only school that drew questions about its competition. FSU called a Board of Trustee's meeting for Friday, and many believe it'll be the first step towards leaving the ACC.