Sources: Florida State, ACC to begin mediation over potential exit

Florida State and the ACC are scheduled to enter mediation next week over their legal dispute, multiple sources tell Yahoo Sports.

While it is a significant step in the proceedings, the mediation phase — an in-person discussion between the two sides in front of a neutral mediator — is an expected one and is not guaranteed to produce a settlement decision. The neutral mediator has been chosen, and the two sides, barring something unforeseen, will convene for the talks next week, those with knowledge of the discussions tell Yahoo Sports.

Officials at the ACC and Florida State both declined comment when reached.

The ACC and one of its most premier brands are locked in a legal fight. The Seminoles are attempting to exit the conference without paying both the exit fee and the cost of buying out its media rights, which it agreed years ago to grant to the conference. The price tag of such an exit is estimated to be at more than $500 million, according to court records.

The case is playing out in two separate lawsuits over two states, FSU’s home in Florida and the ACC’s home in North Carolina, as each side works to hold the proceedings in their own footprint. During a hearing in April in Florida, Leon County Circuit Judge John C. Cooper ordered the school and the conference to attempt “good faith” mediation to resolve the dispute.

Mediation is a conflict-resolution process designed to lead to a mutually beneficial compromise. Unlike a judge or arbitrator, the mediator will not decide the case’s outcome, but will only help the parties by encouraging each side toward a resolution. Mediation can take days, weeks or even months, but normally features a deadline.

ACC officials have shown no willingness to resolve the dispute with a settlement, which, in all likelihood, would involve a compromise in the…

Source link : https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/sources-florida-state-acc-to-begin-mediation-over-potential-exit-190124641.html

Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2024-08-09 19:01:24

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