As Syracuse football gears up for its 2024 season opener at the end of August, the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is embroiled in legal battles with Florida State and Clemson. I find these legal issues to be incredibly frustrating, especially as I’m eager to see the Orange, under first-year head coach Fran Brown, kick off their season.
It feels like a cloud is hanging over the ACC, which has added new members California, SMU, and Stanford this season. The central issue in these lawsuits is the ACC’s grant of rights media deal with ESPN, set to expire in 2036. If Florida State and Clemson want to leave the ACC and attempt to exit this deal, that’s their prerogative. However, with the excitement building for the 2024 season and the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff, I’d rather focus on the games than on courtroom drama. Unfortunately, this is the reality we face—college football and TV revenue are big business, and everyone has their own agenda.
As Syracuse prepares for the season, the ACC and its member schools are caught up in legal disputes. In the context of conference realignment, the SEC and Big Ten are clearly seen as the dominant conferences, while the ACC and Big 12 compete for the third spot. If Florida State, Clemson, or any other school leaves the ACC, it would undoubtedly harm the conference. There’s speculation about whether the SEC or Big Ten would even want FSU or Clemson, or if the Big 12 might swoop in to pick them up. Only time will tell.
ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips recently addressed these legal battles in an ESPN SportsCenter interview, expressing disappointment in the situation but reaffirming the conference’s commitment to fight the lawsuits. Phillips emphasized that the ACC will continue to uphold the agreements signed by its members, but hopes to focus on the upcoming football season rather than legal issues.
Ironically, the 2024 season kicks off on August 24 with Florida State playing Georgia Tech in Dublin. There’s no doubt that conference realignment and the ACC’s legal battles will be major talking points throughout the season, which I find annoying despite it being the reality we face today.
Phillips echoed this sentiment, lamenting that the legal disputes have overshadowed the ACC’s athletic success. As the season begins, he hopes the focus can shift back to the athletes and their achievements on the field.
As for me, if Florida State and Clemson want to leave the ACC, so be it. What they might owe in exit fees is for the courts to decide. College athletics have changed forever with realignment, the transfer portal, and NIL, among other factors.
Syracuse opens its 2024 season on August 31 against Ohio at the JMA Wireless Dome. I’m excited to see what Brown, his staff, and the players can accomplish. Hopefully, the broadcasts will focus more on the action on the field than on the ACC’s legal troubles.
Leave a Reply