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That's why it was so important for the league to expand when it did. If membership falls below 15 members ESPN reserves the right to renegotiate the standing contract that runs through 2036. Also, there is going to be a very, very long legal fight for both FSU and Clemson to get out of the league. Even if there is an agreement for them to exit it could take several years to actually iron out all the details. Hypothetically they could both announce tomorrow that they are leaving the ACC and still be playing in the league for another 5-6 years. Time is on the ACC's side. They can afford to let this thing play out through the legal process while the price of poker keeps going up for FSU/Clemson.
The solution is unequal revenue sharing and a compensation model dependent upon performance on the field/court. There is also the very real likelihood that if the FSU case is heard in North Carolina that the judgment could essentially bind FSU to the ACC for the full duration of the contract. That's why they are desperate for a ruling in Florida venue (which they will not get).
Who knows what will eventually happen but if I had to guess FSU and Clemson negotiate their way out of the ACC in the 2030-2032 time frame. They'll forfeit the remaining years of TV revenue as well as the rights to their home games through 2036. The ACC will use that $200-300m war chest to lure Utah and Arizona as travel partners for CAL/Stanford. Both schools rely heavily on CA for students and long for the academic affiliation with CAL/Stanford. Utah has already made comments suggesting its time in the Big 12 could be short, especially if Yormark goes the private equity route.
In fact if the ACC loses FSU and Clemson it's media value drops and ESPN might want to pay less. I hope that the ACC stays intact but if it does implode then the BIG 10, SEC, and BIG 12 will pick it apart and the conference as we know it may go the way of the PAC.
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