ACC files motion in Florida court to dismiss or stay Florida State lawsuit

The court battle between Florida State and the Atlantic Coast Conference continued on Friday as the ACC has filed a motion in Florida to dismiss or stay Florida State’s lawsuit against the league, according to Pat Forde.

This comes after the Florida State Board of Trustees filed a motion to dismiss the ACC’s lawsuit against FSU last Wednesday, per ESPN.

The two sides are battling in court over the ACC’s Grant of Rights, which Florida State is trying to get out of in order to leave the conference. FSU believes that it should be allowed to leave the ACC without penalty, despite agreeing to the Grant of Rights in 2013.

Florida State has argued that the ACC’s Grant of Rights is flawed and should not be honored. The ACC is suing FSU in defense of the Grant of Rights.

As things stand, the Grant of Rights run through 2036. No conference members are allowed to leave the league or seek a new TV contract until that time is up. Florida State, Clemson and others in the ACC are interested in leaving the ACC in order to bring in more TV revenue.

The SEC and Big Ten recently agreed to massive new TV deals, which leave ACC schools well behind. While Clemson, North Carolina and others are interested in challenging the Grant of Rights, to date, FSU is the only program to actually do so.

Florida State targets former ACC commissioner John Swofford for ‘self-dealing’ in amended court complaint

Florida State recently took a swifter aim at former ACC Commissioner John Swofford in its court dealings.

In a story reported by Ira Schoffel of Warchant, it was revealed that the Seminoles have made Swofford more of a focus in their court battle as their days seem numbered in the ACC, calling him ‘self-dealing’ in an amended complaint.

“Nearly two weeks after the Atlantic Coast Conference raised the stakes in its legal battle with Florida State University by filing an amended complaint in North Carolina Superior Court, the Seminoles fired back with a return volley Monday evening. And it was a scorcher,” Ira Schoffel of Warchant wrote. “In a 59-page amended complaint for declaratory judgment — 21 pages longer than the original complaint Florida State filed in December — the university took sharp aim at former ACC Commissioner John Swofford for a number of allegedly self-serving actions it says cost member schools millions upon millions of dollars.

“FSU’s attorneys also rebutted several claims from, and questioned the legality of, the ACC’s complaint.”