MEGA Conference Realignment and lawsuits Megathread: Stories, Tales, Lies, and Exaggerations

[PhenomCane]

again, 8 have to leave for the GOR to go away. that means 8 have to come up w at least 300+ miill to say goodbye. the money to leave is the issue. 16 could want to leave lol, but doesn't mean 16 can leave. if one school comes up w the money to get out of the deal, id be shocked.

Pretty sure for the GOR to go away it has to be unanimous.



Here's a good thread on the legal aspects of the GOR

 

[Yoyo423]

again, 8 have to leave for the GOR to go away. that means 8 have to come up w at least 300+ miill to say goodbye. the money to leave is the issue. 16 could want to leave lol, but doesn't mean 16 can leave. if one school comes up w the money to get out of the deal, id be shocked.

I guess I'll ask you a simple question..do you think the ACC will remain as is until 2036?

I don't think it will.

I think it's too contentious.

2 of the largest brand ADs in the ACC have come out at the same time and said they're not happy with things. Publicly. That's not a coincidence.

The ACC needs the ADs to play along. They can't just cast them off for 12 years and say "deal with it." If it were Wake Forest or Boston college? Maybe.. but not FSU and Clemson. I wouldn't be surprised if Rad comes out with a similar public statement in the next few days.

I'm not sure how things change.. But I'd bet a lot of money that things will not just stay the same in the ACC until the current contract expires.

 

[Dream School]

Just have to get a few ADs and presidents to see the writing that is already on the wall. Realignment will continue, and the acc is ******* us over for another decade, get on board or become a basketball only school (thats you BC/Wake/Duke/Cuse) looking for a home in the Big east. I could see a logical move of the whole conference, especially if notre dame stays independent. get from the power five to the power 4-

UNC/UVA join Oregon/Washington, get the B1G to 20 after USC and UCLA, conference is set.

Miami/FSU/Clemson/GT join the SEC to get them to 20 after texas and okla, conference is set.

Big 12: - texas, -Okla, +BYU, +UCF, +Cinci, +Houston. Need more P5 teams, add: Louisville, Vatech, NCst gets them to 15. Any remaining interested parties from the ACC would also add value to that conference in either academics or basketball (wake/cuse/duke/pitt/BC) and/or add a couple more mid majors like tulane, memphis.

Pac 12: losing usc/ucla/oregon/washington needs a bunch of new teams if they want to survive albeit diminished in quality: San Diego State, SMU, Boise St, Utah St, Hawaii, Fresno State, UNLV, UNR if they want to stay regional. If they want to go national or add more P5, add tulane, and fight for schools from the wake/cuse/duke/pitt/BC group.

Acc no longer exists. The deal that was signed is totally ****ed, pays way too little, and lasts way too long. It has to die.

Big 12 would add AZ schools, Utah, Colorado and effectively kill the PAC 12 with Oregon State, Washington State going to the Mtn West

 

[PhenomCane]

Any lawyers want to dive into this Harvard Law Journal entry on Grant of Rights? LINK
The guy who wrote that thread is cited heavily.

 

[Hurracanes]

A lot of movement going on behind the scenes.

I guess I'll ask you a simple question..do you think the ACC will remain as is until 2036?

I don't think it will.

I think it's too contentious.

2 of the largest brand ADs in the ACC have come out at the same time and said they're not happy with things. Publicly. That's not a coincidence.

The ACC needs the ADs to play along. They can't just cast them off for 12 years and say "deal with it." If it were Wake Forest or Boston college? Maybe.. but not FSU and Clemson. I wouldn't be surprised if Rad comes out with a similar public statement in the next few days.

I'm not sure how things change.. But I'd bet a lot of money that things will not just stay the same in the ACC until the current contract expires.

ACC is done. Expect more news at some point this year. Lots of movement behind the scenes. Other conferences are aggressive, as well.

 

[Calinative]

Any lawyers want to dive into this Harvard Law Journal entry on Grant of Rights? LINK
The guy who wrote that thread is cited heavily.

https://harvardjsel.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2017/01/Wilhelm.pdf

Page 106-115 are what they think the arguments against the GOR would have to be and how a school could get out of it.

This is what ChatGPT says:

... It would appear we are at the "detailed analysis of the revenue sharing arrangement" part lol

 

[PhenomCane]

https://harvardjsel.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2017/01/Wilhelm.pdf

Page 106-115 are what they think the arguments against the GOR would have to be and how a school could get out of it.

This is what ChatGPT says:
View attachment 231473

... It would appear we are at the "detailed analysis of the revenue sharing arrangement" part lol

Only problem is the ACC Network doesn't happen without the Grant of Rights. I believe the ACC owns 50% of the network, but ESPN wanted the ACC rights for 20 years in exchange for footing the bill towards starting up the network and buying back the TV rights Swofford forced ESPN to sell to Raycom as part of the original 2010 deal.

They announced the ACC Network in 2016 and extended the TV deal 10 years.

By the way, Raycom still owns part of the ACC rights until 2026/27. (1 football, 2 basketball games weekly) The ACC won't see any more money from that until that part of the deal ends. When Diamond Sports files for bankruptcy next month, Raycom might be able to pull those games off Bally Sports and resell them to back to ESPN or another provider. Probably for more than what Diamond Sports is paying for them.

 

[Calinative]

Only problem is the ACC Network doesn't happen without the Grant of Rights. I believe the ACC owns 50% of the network, but ESPN wanted the ACC rights for 20 years in exchange for footing the bill towards starting up the network and buying back the TV rights Swofford forced ESPN to sell to Raycom as part of the original 2010 deal.

They announced the ACC Network in 2016 and extended the TV deal 10 years.

By the way, Raycom still owns part of the ACC rights until 2026/27. (1 football, 2 basketball games weekly) The ACC won't see any more money from that until that part of the deal ends. When Diamond Sports files for bankruptcy next month, Raycom might be able to pull those games off Bally Sports and resell them to back to ESPN or another provider. Probably for more than what Diamond Sports is paying for them.

Why would us leaving the GOR affect the ACC Network at all? Sure, The ACC Network wouldn't have happened without GoR, but the GoR and ACC Network already happened.

 

[CaneinBroward]

The issue with two super conferences is that if it’s constructed entirely of the best teams in the country, they’re going to cannibalize themselves and you end up with a postseason with a bunch of three and four loss teams. You have to have some mediocre teams on the schedule. If you add those types of teams to fill out the schedule, now you’re dividing money amongst more schools that don’t bring any value. At least that’s my take.

I still think an ACC/PAC 12 merger could have some real appeal. A coast to coast conference with football from sun up to sun down on Saturdays. Plenty of teams on either coast to minimize the travel issue. And, you’d have some pretty **** new match ups.

Yes, if the Arizona schools, Colorado, and Utah go to the Big 12 as expected, it would be interesting to see if the ACC would think big and try to bring in Cal, Stanford, the Washington schools, and Oregon schools. Pretty decent array of football teams as well. That being said, is there enough TV money out there to make the payouts within shouting distance of the Big 10 and SEC? Doubtful. Maybe if ND was to join, but a 21 team football conference?

 

[hoops156]

I guess I'll ask you a simple question..do you think the ACC will remain as is until 2036?

I don't think it will.

I think it's too contentious.

2 of the largest brand ADs in the ACC have come out at the same time and said they're not happy with things. Publicly. That's not a coincidence.

The ACC needs the ADs to play along. They can't just cast them off for 12 years and say "deal with it." If it were Wake Forest or Boston college? Maybe.. but not FSU and Clemson. I wouldn't be surprised if Rad comes out with a similar public statement in the next few days.

I'm not sure how things change.. But I'd bet a lot of money that things will not just stay the same in the ACC until the current contract expires.

they actually can say deal with it until someone can come up w the cash to get out of the deal. once a school does it, then the ACC should play ball. till then, why change when they know the schools are stuck

 

[Rickd]

I guess I'll ask you a simple question..do you think the ACC will remain as is until 2036?

I don't think it will.

I think it's too contentious.

2 of the largest brand ADs in the ACC have come out at the same time and said they're not happy with things. Publicly. That's not a coincidence.

The ACC needs the ADs to play along. They can't just cast them off for 12 years and say "deal with it." If it were Wake Forest or Boston college? Maybe.. but not FSU and Clemson. I wouldn't be surprised if Rad comes out with a similar public statement in the next few days.

I'm not sure how things change.. But I'd bet a lot of money that things will not just stay the same in the ACC until the current contract expires.

From comments made during the Summer Rad and the Clemson AD communicate on this issue and have been working together basically "joined at the hip" in their efforts to prepare for eventual separation from the ACC.

 

[3GC]

I think u’re grossly overrating us.

Teel: TV ratings database shows value of top ACC football brands and need for them to perform

Boasting a combined 11 national championships, Miami, Clemson and Florida State are the ACC’s premier football brands. And given its seven conference titles from 1995-2011 — three Big East and

richmond.com

Best 2021 TV ratings by team

This blog is about ACC Football - past glory, what went wrong, and how to fix it and get back to the glory days again.

accfootballrx.blogspot.com

You speak Truth..

 

[Rellyrell]

Like I said b4, the ADs that signed off on this were dumb af. The biggest rival to the SEC in regards to championships have been The ACC; yet, they have a worst TV contract than the f’ing PAC-12. I live in PAC-12 country & there’s times I can’t even get PAC-12 football on my TV b/c Directv doesn’t carry the PAC-12 Network, yet they r still making $3m more/school. Lol. Unbelievable.

 

[Calinative]

Like I said b4, the ADs that signed off on this were dumb af. The biggest rival to the SEC in regards to championships have been The ACC; yet, they have a worst TV contract than the f’ing PAC-12. I live in PAC-12 country & there’s times I can’t even get PAC-12 football on my TV b/c Directv doesn’t carry the PAC-12 Network, yet they r still making $3m more/school. Lol. Unbelievable.

The contract length is like 20x worse than the payouts, And like you say that is pretty bad by itself….

For as bad/fragile as people think the PAC is right now, the ACC is far worse. But worse in a way where we are set up to slowly be strangled to death.

 

[Yoyo423]

they actually can say deal with it until someone can come up w the cash to get out of the deal. once a school does it, then the ACC should play ball. till then, why change when they know the schools are stuck

The ACC represents the schools and works for the schools. They need the ADs to sign off on things. New initiatives. New rules and regulations. Bylaws. New contracts for the other sports. Passing budgets and new spending for ACC employees. The unhappy ADs could spend the next 12 years tanking and sabotaging everything the ACC does. Jim Phillips is the CEO but the ADs and school officials are the board members. It's not like this contract is the only order of business they'll do for the next decade. The ACC serves the schools. Not the other way around. The ACC doesn't generate income. They don't have a product. It's the schools that generate income and put the product on the field.

 

[Robbymoto]

Like I said b4, the ADs that signed off on this were dumb af. The biggest rival to the SEC in regards to championships have been The ACC; yet, they have a worst TV contract than the f’ing PAC-12. I live in PAC-12 country & there’s times I can’t even get PAC-12 football on my TV b/c Directv doesn’t carry the PAC-12 Network, yet they r still making $3m more/school. Lol. Unbelievable.

This is exactly what happens when you have basketball people negotiate a football television contract.

 

[Cribby]

Like I said b4, the ADs that signed off on this were dumb af. The biggest rival to the SEC in regards to championships have been The ACC; yet, they have a worst TV contract than the f’ing PAC-12. I live in PAC-12 country & there’s times I can’t even get PAC-12 football on my TV b/c Directv doesn’t carry the PAC-12 Network, yet they r still making $3m more/school. Lol. Unbelievable.

This is why teams like Miami, Clemson and others have been trying to run for the hills. I imagine it will likely drag out longer for obvious reasons. Why pay to get out of the conference if it will eventually be gone ?

The current deal is atrocious and the AD’s that signed off on it should be smacked.

I still say Sec , with the B10 next but I don’t buy all the other gossip with say the B12.

 

[Cryptical Envelopment]

Any solutions?

If there were any easy solutions, the top schools would be gone already. All the schools signed what was designed to be as iron-clad a contact as could be written, with the express goal of keeping the conference together. They succeeded.

The only way out is to successfully contest the contract (which would be expensive, and possibly fruitless if the contract is as iron-clad as intended), leave and suffer the $300M+ consequences, assuming that # is accurate, get a majority of ACC schools to vote to dismantle the conference (seems unlikely as that would be suicidal for some of the less valuable ones), or successfully negotiate a lower number to leave (good luck).

Or something else I can't currently come up with.

 

[Ispyin]

the statements from the FSU and Clemson athletic directors, (and soon most likely from Miami) are essentially telling your girl we should have an open relationship as a step towards breaking up, saying we tried, because you’re trying to give yourself enough time to get all your valuables out of the house without her having a claim

 

[BS85]

I cannot understand why the ACC would sign such a long term deal with ESPN.

The "leaders" were legitimately ******* morons. It's incredible how stupid they were honestly.