It had a good run.
A settlement between the ACC, Clemson, and Florida State was approved by all three parties today, and in exchange for dropping their lawsuits against the league, Clemson and FSU successfully negotiated a much lower barrier to exit … in 2030.
In the meantime, they’re also likely to earn more revenue through the new unequal distribution model.
So to sum up:
– All boards have approved settlement
– Brand rev distribution will be 60% of TV money divvied up based on 5-year weighted rolling avg of team viewers/ACC viewers (more weight toward recent years)
– Exit fee is $165M for 25-26, declining by $18M annually until…— ️♈️ (@ADavidHaleJoint) March 4, 2025
The exit fee dropping to $75 million is noteworthy, but the biggest thing here is that schools will retain their media rights if they leave and pay the fee, basically voiding the ACC’s grant of rights. The ACC’s vice grip on media rights through 2036 had been keeping everybody in line, but that is no longer the case.
The SEC and Big Ten will be up for new television deals around 2030, and that may be the impetus for one more go ‘round of expansion—clearly FSU and Clemson were aiming to put themselves in a good spot for that window, and they’ve done so.