Florida State and Clemson have served as the bedrock programs of the ACC, but over the weekend the two powerhouses of the league expressed their displeasure with some aspects of the home conference. Of course, these concerns have fueled speculation about a new round of conference realignment that has dominated college football for the past few years — though the prospect of the Seminoles and Tigers in a new conference faces some major challenges. problems that made the implementation of the decision close. it will not be possible.
On Friday, the state of Florida first expressed its displeasure with the current state of the ACC; in particular, the powers-that-be will be shown the financial gap that is growing between it and the schools in some meetings. The board of trustees held a meeting where according to the board Tampa Bay TimesFlorida State athletic director Michael Alford expressed his concerns about the ACC and its future in the changing landscape of college athletics.
“At the end of the day for the state of Florida to compete nationally, something has to change going forward,” Alford said.
Later, Clemson athletic director Graham Neff joined Alford in expressing his displeasure with the ACC’s financial situation, according to the organization. Charleston Post and Courier.
“In all fairness, I put it as a requirement,” he said. “Of course we understand the investment that we continue to make as an institution, in our community, in the field of sports, that is football, which creates a lot of value that is very important in terms of television and revenue generation. Is it time. Revenue distribution in the conference, or at least the ACC, is done differently? Yes, I have been very active in these discussions within the organization and I continue to look forward to taking a leadership role in in our interest that this should be the case for change.
Let’s dive a little deeper into the events surrounding the ACC and take a look at why you won’t see Florida State and Clemson getting a new home in the near future.
The future is not so bright
The concern between Clemson and Florida State — and possibly other ACC programs — is not only in the middle of the Big Ten and SEC’s recent financial windfall that allowed the two conferences to separate from the ACC, but a gap that will widen in the future. .
The SEC announced this month that it has allocated $49.9 million in the 2021-22 fiscal year, which ends on August 31, 2022. The previous period, which included the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, The conference pays its member institutions. about $54.6 million. The Big Ten shared $48.7 million in the 2020-21 fiscal year despite fewer football games than the rest of the Power Five conference due to the pandemic. This figure is expected to make a big jump in the latest fiscal year.
When you contrast that with the ACC’s spending during the 2020-21 fiscal year — about $36 million per school, according to the Athletics Front Office — it’s clear where Clemson’s frustration with Florida State stems from. And that frustration could grow over the future of college sports.
The conference’s current television deal with Disney (ESPN and ABC) expires in 2036, which means that payments to its member institutions will not jump like the Big Ten and SEC. The Big Ten has agreed to a new deal with CBS, Fox and NBC that will pay its schools — including newcomers UCLA and USC — an average of $75 million a year from the right to publish news. That agreement expires after the 2029-30 academic year, six years later than the current ACC agreement. The new SEC agreement with Disney (ESPN and ABC) that will start in 2024 is expected to pay a similar amount, according to assessment from CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd.
Alford outlined the differences in revenue distribution during the meeting on Friday.
“At the end of the day, if nothing is done, we’re not going to be $30 million behind our peers every year,” Alford said.
The cost of departure
False contracts are made in every industry. In college athletics, the most recent example is the impending departure of Texas and Oklahoma from the Big 12 to the SEC in 2024 — a year before the end of the Big 12’s agreement. It would be too expensive for Clemson, Florida State — or any ACC program, for that matter — leaving under the league’s current franchise.
Carolyn Egan, deputy director of legal affairs and attorney general for the state of Florida, said during Friday’s meeting that the extra cost will be about $120 million, according to the agency. Tampa Bay Times.
This figure seems crazy on the surface. However, if ACC member institutions are earning about $30 million less than “Power 2,” a four-year budget to ensure long-term financial stability becomes an option that is on the table. Additionally, the specifics in the media rights agreement in some meetings that ACC schools are considering may increase their value.
Dodd shared this photo from Friday’s meeting at Florida State that details the financial future of the Power Five.
This cycle of college athletics began when it was announced in July 2021 that Texas and Oklahoma would join the SEC, which caused an uproar across the country. Things seem to have calmed down in 2022, but Florida State and Clemson are clearly angry, which could lead to more moves if the two schools can overcome their financial problems.
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