Attorney General Ashley Moody secured an agreement from the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) on Wednesday to release key media rights contracts central to Florida State University’s (FSU) attempt to leave the conference.
Attorney General Ashley Moody secured an agreement from the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) on Wednesday to release media rights contracts central to the ongoing legal dispute with Florida State University (FSU) over its attempt to leave the conference.
In a prepared statement, Moody announced that the ACC will provide the documents following legal action by her office to enforce Florida’s Public Records Act. The documents include the 2010 ACC Multi-Media Agreement, the 2012 Amendment and Extension Agreement, the 2014 Second Amendment to the Multi-Media Agreement, the 2016 Amended and Restated ACC-ESPN Multi-Media Agreement, the ACC-ESPN Network Agreement from 2016, and a Letter Amendment to the Amended and Restated Multi-Media Agreement dated August 10, 2021.
“Our office’s legal action has resulted in an agreement from the ACC to produce secret media contracts that are at the heart of the legal wrangling between FSU and the ACC,” Moody said. “We will continue to fight for transparency.”
Previously, the ACC required FSU representatives to travel to North Carolina to access these documents, resulting in significant travel expenses. The contracts, held at the ACC’s headquarters, contain stipulations that could potentially cost FSU more than $500 million if the university leaves the conference. The ACC agreed to provide these agreements to the Florida Attorney General’s Office by August 1.
Despite the release of the documents, Brett McMurphy, with the sports publication Action Network, reported on Tuesday that the Big Ten and SEC — both of which have long been considered a potential landing spot for the Seminoles — are unlikely to welcome FSU if it succeeds in breaking away from the ACC. The primary reasons cited include financial disincentives, a lack of appetite for further expansion, and concerns about FSU’s reputation as a partner. FSU has reportedly been eyeing these conferences due to their lucrative television media rights deals.
“Big Ten, SEC unlikely to add Florida State if it leaves ACC & ACC survives, sources told Action Network,” McMurphy posted on X. “Big Ten & SEC don’t want FSU because adding FSU doesn’t make financial sense, no desire to expand & “they’ve been a disruptive partner.”
FSU’s current situation is compounded by a legal and financial minefield that ties the university to the ACC via the conference’s Grant of Rights agreement, which locks its media rights to the conference until 2036. The agreement represents a legal hurdle, as FSU would need to challenge its enforceability to proceed with an exit. The legal battle alone could be protracted and costly, adding to the already substantial financial burden.
Additionally, the ACC’s bylaws stipulate a hefty exit fee, estimated to be around $120 million. Without a clear and immediate path to joining a more lucrative conference, the fee poses a risk to FSU’s financial stability and presents a potential inability to recoup costs through increased media revenue further complicates the university’s calculus.