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Conference realignment talks are heating back up with four ACC schools being linked to the SEC. Rumors resurfaced surrounding Clemson’s unhappiness in the league earlier this week, and now it seems the Tigers could have a few more teammates in their corner.
It’s been said that a decision could be made sooner rather than later, meaning the programs might’ve just found a way out of the ACC Grant of Rights agreement.
Early this week, it was said that Clemson is continuing to look for options outside of the ACC. This comes after the league added three teams this offseason.
SMU, Cal, and Stanford are set to join the conference in 2024, but it seems a few of their potential league affiliates might not be a part of the welcoming committee.
A quartet of programs has now been linked to the SEC (and potentially the Big Ten) as a “block of four.”
Realignment insider Greg Swaim filled followers in on the potential defectors on Wednesday.
It’s no secret whatsoever that there are seven (and very likely several more) #ACC teams who want out sooner than later, and now several very solid #SEC sources telling us that #FSU, #Clemson, #UNC and #UVA could be a “block of four” who leave together for either the SEC or #B1G. pic.twitter.com/z33B1tkWaO
— THE SWAIM SHOW (@GSwaim) September 27, 2023
Clemson, Florida State, North Carolina and Virginia make up the block, and it’s not surprising that three of those schools voted against the additions of Stanford and Cal earlier this year.
The unhappiness within the league stems from the ACC’s current media rights deal which is locked in through 2036. The conference has sat and watched as the SEC and B1G sign massive new contracts with the major networks.
A Grant of Rights agreement seemingly tied all affiliates to the ACC through the contract’s duration, but it seems schools might’ve just found a way out.
A deeper explanation of the GoR is listed below.
For those who are unfamiliar, a grant of rights agreement is when institutions agree to allow the conference to have the rights to their media. The ACC agreed to a Grant of Rights deal that runs through 2036 and if a member were to leave before then, they’d have to pay the exit fee and then would forfeit the revenue gained through their media to the ACC. Over the course of 15 years, we could be talking about hundreds of millions of dollars.
The growing notion that the GoR can be broken comes from the supposed timing of a potential realignment decision. Clemson sources say that news will break “sooner than later,” with some close to the program suggesting that a move could be made in October.
Subscribers to https://t.co/pU2IPrM4aR know that, since mid-August, we have written that the attempted secession from the ACC union is likely to commence during the 2023 season. And three days ago we wrote that it’s likely to happen in October.
— Larry Williams (@LarryWilliamsTI) September 27, 2023
Geography would suggest a move to the SEC is most desirable, though some teams could have the hurdle of gaining the approval of instate rivals (Clemson, FSU). Still, bringing in these programs would both widen the conference footprint to Virginia and North Carolina while also adding two national brands to college football’s top league.
Have the schools found a way out of their media rights contract, or is this just another way to put pressure on the ACC to up its ante? We may soon find out.