Why Florida State sees current situation in the ACC as 'untenable'

With conference realignment shaking up the college football world drastically, Florida State has serious concerns about staying in the ACC. The university’s Board of Trustees is set to hold a meeting Wednesday, and Chair Peter Collins made it clear Tuesday where the Seminoles stand.

In an exclusive interview with Warchant, Collins spoke on the “insurmountable” revenue gap FSU would face compared to teams in the Big Ten and SEC based on those conferences’ media rights deals. With those comments, Collins hinted that leaving the ACC may be the right move for the school’s future.

“They were screaming to the heavens. It was a clarion call. ‘This is untenable. We cannot just sit idly by and watch,'” Warchant’s Jeff Cameron told On3‘s Andy Staples. “As you said, Florida State is in the footprint of the SEC. They have to compete against the University of Florida, obviously, Georgia and everybody in the area for recruits. Florida State has done a great job over the years in doing just that. But the further one sees themselves removed from an even playing field economically, that competition becomes one-sided and Florida State recognizes that.

“You can’t continue to try to compete at the highest levels when your opponents are pulling in upwards of $30, $40, $50 million more a year than you. You lose the race for facilities and any coach that you have that anybody else wants, especially at one of those schools, now becomes somebody you can’t afford to keep because they’ll offer them more money than you have.”

The ACC’s current media rights deal with ESPN is dwarfed by the SEC, Big Ten and even Big 12, with schools in those conferences expected to make upwards of $30 million more annually than the ACC. The ACC schools are locked in until 2036 when the current deal expires.

However, Collins said in his interview that Florida State understands the ACC’s Grant of Rights “very well,” adding that getting out of it is “the least of my worries.” That makes it seem as if the Seminoles are prepared to take action to leave, regardless of the obstacles.

“I think they recognize that, come hell or high water, they have to get out of this conference,” Cameron said. “It’s why you see the hammering and it’s why you see the very public comments. Because sitting still and being threatened with the idea of a lawsuit as you try to leave because of the grant of rights is no way to handle this situation.

“No matter what somebody else may think about the possibilities of winning legally in court and getting out from under the albatross of the grant of rights, it’s still untenable either way. You’re better off fighting it through court because you lose no matter what if you sit still through 2036.”

With Oklahoma and Texas set to make the jump to the SEC, as well as USC and UCLA to the Big Ten, by next season, conference realignment shows no signs of slowing down. Colorado is the latest school to leave its conference, making the decision to join the Big 12 this past week.

It seems Florida State could follow suit, but don’t expect an announcement any time soon. Collins said there are no plans for action at the moment, but the school’s leaders are “working every single day” to be prepared for the future.