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The relationship between the Clemson Tigers and ACC is rocky, to say the least, with the university currently wrapped up in a lawsuit against its conference. Out of that suit comes an interesting tidbit that further highlights the school’s frustrations.
The Tigers reportedly voiced their displeasure with the league by spurning football scheduling requests. The ACC wanted the team to make some changes to this year’s slate for television purposes. Clemson wouldn’t budge!
The university’s issue with the ACC centers around revenue. The league finds itself tied to a contract with ESPN through 2036, handcuffing member institutions as they watch other Power Conferences sign massive deals with major networks.
The Tigers, alongside Florida State, don’t believe they’re being compensated adequately for being the conference’s top football brands. For that reason, they want out.
Unfortunately, a few roadblocks stand in the way – most notably a grant of rights agreement and hefty league exit fee. That led the Tigers to seek legal action on the grounds of “willful and malicious conduct.”
The filing shows the university is now seeking “punitive damages to Clemson for the ACC’s willful and malicious conduct,” which stems from the conference’s assertion that it would still be entitled to television revenue generated by games the Tigers play in even if they moved to another conference.
The school is clearly unhappy with its standing in the league, and recent reports insist the Tigers won’t roll over to the ACC’s demands.
Clemson refuses to appease ACC scheduling requests.
Coming out of the lawsuit was a tidbit surrounding one of the Tigers’ biggest games of the year – a season-ending rivalry with South Carolina.
It seems the ACC asked Clemson to consider playing the game on Black Friday as opposed to Saturday, offering a primetime spot on ESPN.
Per David Hood of TigerNet:
Clemson University refused a request by the Atlantic Coast Conference and ESPN to move this year’s home game against South Carolina to the Friday night after Thanksgiving on Black Friday.
Court documents obtained by TigerNet pertaining to the school’s lawsuit against the conference in its efforts to break the Grant of Rights revealed that the conference and ESPN made the request…
The ACC had apparently already worked those terms with ESPN.
The league said that despite having secured these concessions, and despite other ACC teams having agreed to play on Black Friday in previous instances, Clemson declined to move the game.
That agreement also said that the University of South Carolina would “reciprocate” by hosting a Black Friday rivalry matchup in Columbia at a later date – though the Gamecocks’ feelings on the issue aren’t known.
The ACC’s senior commissioner for football Michael Strickland was livid. He had the following to say to the school via email:
“As has been indicated to you during this process, the Conference Office is disappointed in Clemson University’s lack of cooperation on this matter. As all ACC members know, it is incumbent upon the ACC and its institutions to work in good faith with ESPN on football scheduling issues. This cooperation maximizes the value of our relationship with our media partner and strengthens our collective future.”
The Tigers clearly have no desire to boost the league’s value or future as they seek a way out.