Florida State calls emergency board meeting, could take first step toward leaving ACC, per reports

Florida State has called a special board of trustees meeting for Friday morning. While no formal reason has been posted for the emergency meeting, multiple reports indicate that FSU’s athletic future in the ACC will be discussed. 

The board could approve a legal filing against the ACC, which would be the first true step in trying to break the so-called “ironclad” grant of rights that tethers its members through 2036. Several ACC members have spent the past year examining the conference’s grant of rights, though Florida State has been its most vocal critic. 

Florida State is a mere weeks removed from becoming the first undefeated power conference team to be left out of the College Football Playoff. The Seminoles were bumped from No. 3 to No. 5 — behind one-loss Alabama and Texas — after a lackluster offensive performance with a third-string freshman quarterback against Louisville in the ACC Championship Game. The decision has incensed officials around the state of Florida; however, the playoff will expand to 12 teams in 2024, practically assuring a spot for an undefeated team from any conference. 

Still, the university has publicly acknowledged its desire to explore options outside of the conference in previous public settings. At a board meeting in August, Florida State president Richard McCullough presented to the trustees the challenges of staying in the ACC while the league falls as much as $30 million per year in payouts behind the SEC and Big Ten. 

Said FSU trustee Drew Weatherford: “It’s not a matter of if we leave [the ACC], but how and when we leave.” 

The ACC has attempted to be aggressive in finding further compensation for its top members. In May, the league introduced “success incentives,” allowing schools with…

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Author : Shehan Jeyarajah

Publish date : 2023-12-21 19:26:35

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