Alford: FSU participating fully in ACC meetings despite lawsuits, uncertain future

AMELIA ISLAND — Two days into the ACC spring meetings, Florida State athletics director Michael Alford says he has sensed no “ill will” from other schools in the conference despite the fact that FSU and Clemson are embroiled in dueling lawsuits with the conference.

He also said the Seminoles and Tigers have been able to take part in all discussions, even though both schools are actively suing to leave the league without having to play hundreds of millions of dollars in exit fees and penalties.

“The professionalism has always been there,” Alford said, nothing that he considers ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips and other conference administrators to be “dear friends.”

Does that mean the Seminoles could still figure out a way to mend fences with the league and stay put instead of seeking greener pastures?

While Alford didn’t say no to that question, he certainly didn’t say yes.

“We’ll just wait and let it play out,” Alford said. “We have great partners in this conference and great relationships. But at the end of the day, we’ve got to do what’s best for Florida State and look at the changing environment of collegiate athletics and make sure we’re there to be successful.”

(It should be noted that multiple university sources have indicated to Warchant that FSU has every intention of leaving the conference. It stands to reason that Alford wouldn’t feel comfortable saying that on the record at an ACC meeting.)

One thing is clear: The concerns that led to Florida State seeking legal action haven’t subsided.

The revenue gap between the ACC and the Big Ten and SEC is continuing to expand, and it’s only going to grow larger as a result of the latest College Football Playoff agreement. According to reports, the SEC and Big Ten will receive more than $20 million each year from that deal, while the ACC will get about $13 million and the Big 12 will receive $12 million.

That’s on top of the tens of millions of dollars disparity — per school, per year — FSU has been complaining about for the last two years.

“You’re seeing that even more, as anticipated, with the CFP gap now growing even more,” Alford said. “So it’s nothing new that we haven’t talked about. … That conversation’s not new. Others have joined us in that conversation, but it’s not new.”

When asked how long it might take for Florida State to be cleared to exit the ACC, Alford wouldn’t speculate.

“We’ll just let the court proceedings play out,” he said.

In the meantime, Alford said he and Florida State will continue to work to help the conference generate as much revenue as possible. That means winning as many games as possible, continuing to invest in the football program and working to push its way into the College Football Playoff.

The Seminoles believed they did that last year by winning 13 games and the ACC Championship, but Alford believes they were hurt not only by the season-ending injury to quarterback Jordan Travis, but because of negative perceptions about the strength of the conference.

“We’ve got to keep marketing ourselves. We’ve got to get better,” Alford said. “What happened last year was tragic. And it spoke volumes of the perception, I believe, of this league when it comes to football specifically.”

When asked for his reaction to Clemson filing its own lawsuit against the ACC after Florida State did, Alford said it wasn’t a surprise.

“You’re looking at two institutions that want success,” he said. “And see the changing environment in collegiate sports and want their programs to compete at the very top. … They want their programs to compete at an elite national level.”

ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips is scheduled to speak with the media at the conclusion of the spring meetings on Wednesday.

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