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

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And that’s all there is to it. I’m even being lenient on 9-3, but in reality it should be 10 or bust in Year 3.

Year 1 was the roster wasn’t set and Gattis sucked.

Year 2 it was TVD and lack of depth or we’d win 9+.

If he can’t get there in Year 3, what’s the excuse now? You’d have to be living under his ******* to come up with another excuse, UNLESS severe injuries are involved. Then fine, hopefully that’s not a bridge we have to visit.

He’s infused this roster with elite talent based on the rankings, exceeding even the most outspoken critics’ complaints. He’s had five portal windows and counting to examine the roster and add quality where he sees fit, he’s had the same number of windows to determine who on the current roster is worth keeping.

No excuses, win games and look good doing it…and we’ll be flying into 2025 as a reoccurring household name to talk about again in college football.
I don’t even care if we win just by 1 point in very ugly games just ******* win.
 
I think my heads going to explode trying to understand how they think this would be possible.

This may be the dumbest take I have ever seen in my life on a message board. I genuinely mean that. MSG will be all over this.
No idea how anybody believes that is feasible ... or giving notice in April that you're no longer an ACC member for this season.
 
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How many members will the ACC have on Tuesday if FSU left the conference Monday? asking for a four letter friend.
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Buddy, if FSU is independent in 2024, plays the same schedule with ACC games included, and somehow finds a way to broadcast their own home games on a competing network I will gladly come back here and give you the credit you deserve.
I took the comment to mean if you think this is the dumbest take you've ever seen on a message board, just wait, there will be something even more stupid down the line. But I could be wrong.
 
I’m skeptical

Me too, but I think there is a possibility for teams that have SEC invites. ACC recently told FSU that buying back media rights was a "commercial possibility" subject to negotiation. Lots of people think that means the 3x operating cost (estimated at 120 million). You probably know this already but that 120 mil isn't the price to buy back media rights. The 3x operating cost is written directly in ACC bylaws (publicly available) as just the exit fee for the conference. That is completely separate from the GOR. A team can leave but the ACC still owns the media rights to home games.

People were floating the $550 million number as the cost for exit fee plus media rights, FSU could conceivably settle at something like 350 million. That essentially breaks down to 35 million over 10 years, which is roughly what FSU would have received from the ACC annually over a 10 year span, give or take a few million. Now the money that would have gone to FSU gets split up between the remaining teams. Anyways, if that happens, my guess is ESPN likely is ok with the move and doesn't sue the ACC. Clemson likely does the same.

Everyone cheers and thinks that it sounds like teams found a way to get out of the ACC, but I'd wager it will be only for teams that are moving to the SEC, since that is the only scenario in which ESPN doesn't sue the ACC for projected lost revenue through the remainder of the contract. I think the next two after that would be UNC paired with NC St. to the SEC. That puts them at an even 20 schools. Unfortunately, that means we're still screwed, as we're probably haven't been on the SEC's Xmas card list after turning them down many years ago.

If you look at the puzzle pieces, this picture should come together.
First, as @Gocanes1990 said, the higher ups are saying we don't have the money to pay the acc exit fee and buy back the media rights. No reason to doubt this is true. We can't afford a $350 million buyout, but the legislatures for the state public schools can easily shift state money to pay the buyouts or find other ways out.

Second, to the best of anyone's knowledge, the ESPN- ACC deal says that as long as the number of teams doesn't drop below 15, the deal stays as-is and ESPN can't lower the payouts. Acc added 3 teams that don't get any revenue shares. If the 4 aforementioned teams leave for the SEC, we are at 14 teams. So that gives 2 options: 1) either add another team or 2) give ESPN the ability renegotiate the contract.

My guess is we'd get another surprise team added to the ACC (my guess is UCONN). 15 teams means ESPN has to keep the deal. If all 4 teams that leave for SEC negotiate the buyback of media rights and exit fee averages 300 million each, that means 1.2 billion will be shared between the acc teams. That comes out to 80 million to each acc team if evenly distributed (which it won't be because of partial shares, UM would get more). It's not ideal but it's something I guess.

Some think there is no way espn would pick up the contract in 2028. I don't think they appreciate how much tv deals have ballooned since the ACC signed the agreement. The current deal has the ACC making less than what the Pac12 would have made through 2029. It's still an incredible bargain for espn, even without UNC, NC St, Clemson, and FSU.

The new ACC
Miami
Pitt
UVA
VT
Syracuse
BC
Duke
Wake Forest
GT
Louisville

Stanford
SMU
Cal
UCONN
ND

I think espn would extend the current deal for that lineup, which would make it the lowest paid "major" conference. So it's nice that people are posting all the great news from Warchant, but I don't give a **** about FSU. Taking off the "orange and green glasses"*, it doesn't look good for UM.

*Rad used nearly this exact phrase a few days ago when talking about how good the ACC is for UM when looked at through "orange and green glasses." The signs are all there.
 
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Me too, but I think there is a possibility for teams that have SEC invites. ACC recently told FSU that buying back media rights was a "commercial possibility" subject to negotiation. Lots of people think that means the 3x operating cost (estimated at 120 million). You probably know this already but that 120 mil isn't the price to buy back media rights. The 3x operating cost is written directly in ACC bylaws (publicly available) as just the exit fee for the conference. That is completely separate from the GOR. A team can leave but the ACC still owns the media rights to home games.

People were floating the $550 million number as the cost for exit fee plus media rights, FSU could conceivably settle at something like 350 million. That essentially breaks down to 35 million over 10 years, which is roughly what FSU would have received from the ACC annually over a 10 year span, give or take a few million. Now the money that would have gone to FSU gets split up between the remaining teams. Anyways, if that happens, my guess is ESPN likely is ok with the move and doesn't sue the ACC. Clemson likely does the same.

Everyone cheers and thinks that it sounds like teams found a way to get out of the ACC, but I'd wager it will be only for teams that are moving to the SEC, since that is the only scenario in which ESPN doesn't sue the ACC for projected lost revenue through the remainder of the contract. I think the next two after that would be UNC paired with NC St. to the SEC. That puts them at an even 20 schools. Unfortunately, that means we're still screwed, as we're probably haven't been on the SEC's Xmas card list after turning them down many years ago.

If you look at the puzzle pieces, this picture should come together.
First, as @Gocanes1990 said, the higher ups are saying we don't have the money to pay the acc exit fee and buy back the media rights. No reason to doubt this is true. We can't afford a $350 million buyout, but the legislatures for the state public schools can easily shift state money to pay the buyouts or find other ways out.

Second, to the best of anyone's knowledge, the ESPN- ACC deal says that as long as the number of teams doesn't drop below 15, the deal stays as-is and ESPN can't lower the payouts. Acc added 3 teams that don't get any revenue shares. If the 4 aforementioned teams leave for the SEC, we are at 14 teams. So that gives 2 options: 1) either add another team or 2) give ESPN the ability renegotiate the contract.

My guess is we'd get another surprise team added to the ACC (my guess is UCONN). 15 teams means ESPN has to keep the deal. If all 4 teams that leave for SEC negotiate the buyback of media rights and exit fee averages 300 million each, that means 1.2 billion will be shared between the acc teams. That comes out to 80 million to each acc team if evenly distributed (which it won't be because of partial shares, UM would get more). It's not ideal but it's something I guess.

Some think there is no way espn would pick up the contract in 2028. I don't think they appreciate how much tv deals have ballooned since the ACC signed the agreement. The current deal has the ACC making less than what the Pac12 would have made through 2029. It's still an incredible bargain for espn, even without UNC, NC St, Clemson, and FSU.

The new ACC
Miami
Pitt
UVA
VT
Syracuse
BC
Duke
Wake Forest
GT
Louisville

Stanford
SMU
Cal
UCONN
ND

I think espn would extend the current deal for that lineup, which would make it the lowest paid "major" conference. So it's nice that people are posting all the great news from Warchant, but I don't give a **** about FSU. Taking off the "orange and green glasses"*, it doesn't look good for UM.

*Rad used nearly this exact phrase a few days ago when talking about how good the ACC is for UM when looked at through "orange and green glasses." The signs are all there.
The ACC doesn't own the media rights. They were sold / conveyed by the ACC TO ESPN. Any GOR negotiations / media buyback between exiting teams is directly with ESPN not with the ACC Conference. AND the current ESPN media commitment lapses on June 30, 2027. Leaving only 3 more seasons that are in question. The entire extension option from '27 to '36 is likely void and won't be exercised by ESPN anyway due to high media value programs leaving the conference. One interpretation is that 2 schools leaving triggers the composition clause, a look in by ESPN to revalue / re-negotiate the media deal based on the value of the new program makeup.

Nothing is clearly documented for public evaluation regarding the ESPN media agreements and they want to keep it that way.
 
Me too, but I think there is a possibility for teams that have SEC invites. ACC recently told FSU that buying back media rights was a "commercial possibility" subject to negotiation. Lots of people think that means the 3x operating cost (estimated at 120 million). You probably know this already but that 120 mil isn't the price to buy back media rights. The 3x operating cost is written directly in ACC bylaws (publicly available) as just the exit fee for the conference. That is completely separate from the GOR. A team can leave but the ACC still owns the media rights to home games.

People were floating the $550 million number as the cost for exit fee plus media rights, FSU could conceivably settle at something like 350 million. That essentially breaks down to 35 million over 10 years, which is roughly what FSU would have received from the ACC annually over a 10 year span, give or take a few million. Now the money that would have gone to FSU gets split up between the remaining teams. Anyways, if that happens, my guess is ESPN likely is ok with the move and doesn't sue the ACC. Clemson likely does the same.

Everyone cheers and thinks that it sounds like teams found a way to get out of the ACC, but I'd wager it will be only for teams that are moving to the SEC, since that is the only scenario in which ESPN doesn't sue the ACC for projected lost revenue through the remainder of the contract. I think the next two after that would be UNC paired with NC St. to the SEC. That puts them at an even 20 schools. Unfortunately, that means we're still screwed, as we're probably haven't been on the SEC's Xmas card list after turning them down many years ago.

If you look at the puzzle pieces, this picture should come together.
First, as @Gocanes1990 said, the higher ups are saying we don't have the money to pay the acc exit fee and buy back the media rights. No reason to doubt this is true. We can't afford a $350 million buyout, but the legislatures for the state public schools can easily shift state money to pay the buyouts or find other ways out.

Second, to the best of anyone's knowledge, the ESPN- ACC deal says that as long as the number of teams doesn't drop below 15, the deal stays as-is and ESPN can't lower the payouts. Acc added 3 teams that don't get any revenue shares. If the 4 aforementioned teams leave for the SEC, we are at 14 teams. So that gives 2 options: 1) either add another team or 2) give ESPN the ability renegotiate the contract.

My guess is we'd get another surprise team added to the ACC (my guess is UCONN). 15 teams means ESPN has to keep the deal. If all 4 teams that leave for SEC negotiate the buyback of media rights and exit fee averages 300 million each, that means 1.2 billion will be shared between the acc teams. That comes out to 80 million to each acc team if evenly distributed (which it won't be because of partial shares, UM would get more). It's not ideal but it's something I guess.

Some think there is no way espn would pick up the contract in 2028. I don't think they appreciate how much tv deals have ballooned since the ACC signed the agreement. The current deal has the ACC making less than what the Pac12 would have made through 2029. It's still an incredible bargain for espn, even without UNC, NC St, Clemson, and FSU.

The new ACC
Miami
Pitt
UVA
VT
Syracuse
BC
Duke
Wake Forest
GT
Louisville

Stanford
SMU
Cal
UCONN
ND

I think espn would extend the current deal for that lineup, which would make it the lowest paid "major" conference. So it's nice that people are posting all the great news from Warchant, but I don't give a **** about FSU. Taking off the "orange and green glasses"*, it doesn't look good for UM.

*Rad used nearly this exact phrase a few days ago when talking about how good the ACC is for UM when looked at through "orange and green glasses." The signs are all there.
Had another conversation above the paygrade of my ad connection. Feel better than a week ago. We probably know the direction by EOY and exit by 26-27 is my thought…
 
Me too, but I think there is a possibility for teams that have SEC invites. ACC recently told FSU that buying back media rights was a "commercial possibility" subject to negotiation. Lots of people think that means the 3x operating cost (estimated at 120 million). You probably know this already but that 120 mil isn't the price to buy back media rights. The 3x operating cost is written directly in ACC bylaws (publicly available) as just the exit fee for the conference. That is completely separate from the GOR. A team can leave but the ACC still owns the media rights to home games.

People were floating the $550 million number as the cost for exit fee plus media rights, FSU could conceivably settle at something like 350 million. That essentially breaks down to 35 million over 10 years, which is roughly what FSU would have received from the ACC annually over a 10 year span, give or take a few million. Now the money that would have gone to FSU gets split up between the remaining teams. Anyways, if that happens, my guess is ESPN likely is ok with the move and doesn't sue the ACC. Clemson likely does the same.

Everyone cheers and thinks that it sounds like teams found a way to get out of the ACC, but I'd wager it will be only for teams that are moving to the SEC, since that is the only scenario in which ESPN doesn't sue the ACC for projected lost revenue through the remainder of the contract. I think the next two after that would be UNC paired with NC St. to the SEC. That puts them at an even 20 schools. Unfortunately, that means we're still screwed, as we're probably haven't been on the SEC's Xmas card list after turning them down many years ago.

If you look at the puzzle pieces, this picture should come together.
First, as @Gocanes1990 said, the higher ups are saying we don't have the money to pay the acc exit fee and buy back the media rights. No reason to doubt this is true. We can't afford a $350 million buyout, but the legislatures for the state public schools can easily shift state money to pay the buyouts or find other ways out.

Second, to the best of anyone's knowledge, the ESPN- ACC deal says that as long as the number of teams doesn't drop below 15, the deal stays as-is and ESPN can't lower the payouts. Acc added 3 teams that don't get any revenue shares. If the 4 aforementioned teams leave for the SEC, we are at 14 teams. So that gives 2 options: 1) either add another team or 2) give ESPN the ability renegotiate the contract.

My guess is we'd get another surprise team added to the ACC (my guess is UCONN). 15 teams means ESPN has to keep the deal. If all 4 teams that leave for SEC negotiate the buyback of media rights and exit fee averages 300 million each, that means 1.2 billion will be shared between the acc teams. That comes out to 80 million to each acc team if evenly distributed (which it won't be because of partial shares, UM would get more). It's not ideal but it's something I guess.

Some think there is no way espn would pick up the contract in 2028. I don't think they appreciate how much tv deals have ballooned since the ACC signed the agreement. The current deal has the ACC making less than what the Pac12 would have made through 2029. It's still an incredible bargain for espn, even without UNC, NC St, Clemson, and FSU.

The new ACC
Miami
Pitt
UVA
VT
Syracuse
BC
Duke
Wake Forest
GT
Louisville

Stanford
SMU
Cal
UCONN
ND

I think espn would extend the current deal for that lineup, which would make it the lowest paid "major" conference. So it's nice that people are posting all the great news from Warchant, but I don't give a **** about FSU. Taking off the "orange and green glasses"*, it doesn't look good for UM.

*Rad used nearly this exact phrase a few days ago when talking about how good the ACC is for UM when looked at through "orange and green glasses." The signs are all there.
Gross
 
Had another conversation above the paygrade of my ad connection. Feel better than a week ago. We probably know the direction by EOY and exit by 26-27 is my thought…
glad you kept going up after feeding the mopes a good meal - always better to eat at The Palm vs outback. Perhaps Prime next then we really know!

hmm, I wonder where that timeline has been mentioned before :)

keep our fingers crossed for sure.
 
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