Florida State leaving the ACC may be inevitable, but when it happens — and where the Seminoles land — in college football's realignment era remains a mystery. Chatter hit a fever pitch ahead of SEC and Big Ten media days this month as the nation's two recently-expanded superconferences prepare for the 2024 season with several bluebloods enhancing their hopes of leaving the rest of the country in the rear view.
This time last summer, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey addressed if his league considered FSU among future expansion candidates. He made sure his words were well-positioned in welcoming Texas and Oklahoma with the red carpet first before mentioning other, possibly behemoth, additions.
"I have been clear that we are focused on our growth to 16 as we transition Oklahoma and Texas into the conference," Sankey said at the time. "Further expansion has not been a central topic in the SEC other than regularly updating our campus leadership on national developments. We are proud of the stability the SEC provides our membership and incredibly excited about our future."
And now, almost a year later, Sankey was direct in his response when asked at SEC spring meetings about future expansion. He's sure to be peppered with those questions next week in Dallas, too.
"We respect that there are agreements and situations that prevent a lot of movement, so our focus has been on our 16," Sankey said, via USA Today. "But, I pay attention."
ACC commissioner Jim Phillipsvowed to "fight" FSU and Clemson since the two are challenging the league's legally-binding grant of rights with "damaging lawsuits" ahead of the new season. The Seminoles and Tigers want a bigger piece of the ACC's annual revenue share and thus far, the league has not budged with that request.
The ACC amended its grant of rights in 2016, extending its media rights deal with ESPN and Disney in conjunction with the launch of the ACC Network. It ties the conference together through 2036. The conference has fallen behind the SEC and Big Ten in annual payouts in the year since, with the ACC handing out roughly $30 million less per year.
"It's a forgone conclusion amongst pretty much anyone who knows anything that it's a matter of time before Florida State makes a move," Josh Pate said on this week's Late Kick Show. "The decision-makers involved are of this world, meaning they don't wear a whistle around their neck. They understand marketing, promotion, dollars and cents of course, but they understand there's a picture here much bigger than Doak Campbell Stadium or Florida State or Clemson … they understand there's a world with several zeroes on the end of it."
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The ACC's additions of California, Stanford and SMU hasn't altered FSU and Clemson's point of view, but Phillips says the health of the league is strong moving forward. Several years ago when there was little to no smoke ahead of the Texas-Oklahoma news breaking at SEC media days, perhaps the next wave of realignment that would significantly damage the ACC is a bit more predictable.