Why are UNC, Clemson and Florida State exploring a move from ACC to SEC? Know more about the lawsuit and major change in college sports

ACC mainstays North Carolina, Clemson, and Florida State are considering a move to the SEC, which could shake the landscape of college sports, particularly in basketball.

The potential transfer has been magnified due to the ruling in the recent lawsuit filed by Clemson and Florida State against the ACC.

The settlement called for the conference to reduce the exit fee for schools to $75 million beginning in the 2030-31 season from about $93 million in 2029-30.

The ruling allows ACC programs to search for a more profitable conference by that timeframe at a cheaper exit fee.

Exploring the Clemson, Florida State lawsuit against the ACC

Clemson and Florida State sued the ACC to challenge the conference's exorbitant exit fee for its member schools, which seek to leave before 2036, the year when the existing grant of rights agreement expires (per Sports Illustrated).

That deadline meant that college programs planning to transfer conferences are forced to stay for the next 11 seasons before making such an exit. That fee would take away the media profit that an exiting ACC school could earn from the new conference once it transfers before the said exit year.

According to a report from Inside Carolina, the settlement provided a temporary, but substantial victory to programs searching for ways to leave the ACC for better financial earnings from other conferences.

The ACC, on the other hand, scored a short-term victory, as it drew new terms for how the league appropriates money to its members. It also meant that the conference will stay intact until 2036, but the changes would be inevitable after that.

North Carolina Chancellor Lee Roberts was involved in ACC settlement talks

It was also reported that North Carolina, in particular, school chancellor Lee Roberts, was involved in the negotiations between the conference and Florida State and Clemson.

The university was part of the "Magnificent Seven" schools that raised their arms against the ACC in 2023. At that time, UNC showed discontent with the current revenue-sharing terms and asked for a bigger profit share in the future.

That new change could trigger a major realignment with North Carolina, Clemson and Florida State leading the charge.

The latest settlement came amid the media rights deals arranged by the Big Ten and the SEC. The Big Ten's media rights will terminate by 2030 and the SEC's will expire in 2034.

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Edited by Geoff