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Florida State and the ACC have not yet reached a solution regarding the school’s possible withdrawal from the conference.
On3’s Pete Nakos reported Thursday that the two sides met for mediation on Aug. 13 but were unable to reach a settlement, so they filed a joint notice of mediation agreement with the Leon District Court, stating they would “continue talks.”
Nakos explained that Florida State wants to leave the ACC without paying the cost of buying out the remaining media rights or an exit fee. That’s a significant request, with lawyers estimating those costs at around $500 million.
Florida State is not the only state seeking to leave the conference. Nakos noted that this is just one of four ongoing lawsuits against the ACC.
These lawsuits are ACC v. Clemson, ACC v. Florida State, Clemson v. ACC, and Florida State v. ACC.
“Listen, it’s disappointing that we’re at this point,” ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips said on SportsCenter on Tuesday (h/t Nakos).
“It’s a dangerous situation. But that’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to fight. And that’s the way it should be. If you sign an agreement twice — sign it voluntarily — that you’re part of a group that comes together and decides that’s how you want to do things for the next 20 years, you should be held accountable for that. Other than that, we’re going to lock this part down and go into football season.”
There will be some shut-ins on the other side as well, considering Florida State will begin its season on Saturday against Georgia Tech in Dublin, Ireland. The Seminoles have realistic College Football Playoff aspirations this season and will look to start strong.
Florida State is looking to leave the conference at a time of unprecedented realignment.
Texas and Oklahoma joined the SEC, while Oregon, USC, Washington and UCLA joined the Big Ten this offseason. Additionally, Stanford, Cal and SMU moved to the ACC, while Arizona, Utah, Colorado and Arizona State are joining the Big 12.
Only Oregon State and Washington State remain in the Pac-12, and their futures are uncertain.
That a program as strong as Florida State would want to leave when all signs point to the SEC and Big Ten pulling away as the two leading conferences is no surprise. The undefeated Seminoles were simply shut out of the CFP last year and instead had to watch a one-loss Alabama team take the field.
Financial implications also certainly play a role, with the Big Ten and SEC generating more money than the other conferences at a time when name, image and likeness deals loom large.
Florida State is currently still a member of the ACC. However, as the season approaches, discussions continue about a possible exit.
