FSU football: ACC fans and media salty after BOT meeting
BLACKSBURG, VA - OCTOBER 09: A view of the pylon with an ACC logo on the field during the game between the Virginia Tech Hokies and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Lane Stadium on October 9, 2021 in Blacksburg, Virginia. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
FSU football must leave the ACC if they want to play big-boy football. It’s that simple with teams in the SEC and B1G in line to earn multiple millions more from the media right deals than what the FSU will earn from the ACC between now and 2036.
FSU hinted things needed to change earlier this year, and the ACC doesn’t have the leverage to make a dent in the revenue gap that will occur.
FSU leadership knows and understands that, and have gone public with what they’ve known internally for a few years.
FSU must leave the ACC, no matter the cost. Here’s why:
This is why FSU would consider paying $30 million a year to leave the ACC a decade early pic.twitter.com/CS5uiUcYjx — FSU Reddit (@RFSUSports) July 31, 2023
Below are some quotes from the BOT meeting among FSU leadership Wednesday:
FSU president Richard McCullough: “We are not satisfied w/our current situation. We love the ACC. Our goal to stay in the ACC, but to stay in ACC under current situation is hard for us to figure out how we remain competitive unless there is a major change in revenue distribution… — Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) August 2, 2023
Florida State president Richard McCullough threatens FSU might leave ACC. “I think FSU at some point will consider leaving the ACC unless there is a radical change in ACC revenue distribution.” — Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) August 2, 2023
Florida State Trustee Drew Weatherford: “It’s not a matter of if we leave (the ACC), but how & when we leave” 👀 — Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) August 2, 2023
FSU Trustee Justin Roth: “A solution under current (ACC) TV deal very unlikely. Leads us to what’s next? The alternative for us staying in this conference for next 13 years is death by a 1,000 cuts. Waiting is not the answer.” Also says FSU needs an exit plan in next 12 months — Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) August 2, 2023
FSU leadership makes it clear they are going to leave the ACC. The reason is clear, yet some ACC media and fans from other ACC teams seem to want to play coy and point out things that are irrelevant:
Media and Fan Reaction
Florida State was a combined 26-33 and without a winning season in the ACC between 2017-21. I don’t think the latest media rights deals for the Big 10 and SEC were their biggest issue. https://t.co/JtJ5i29tcL — Les Johns (@Les_Johns) August 2, 2023
It was the worst FSU period in most of our life times, yet FSU remains the program with the most viewership in the entire conference. That’s what matters, sir. Wake Forest wouldn’t know anything about that though.
FSU can’t even consistently beat NC State and Wake Forest. https://t.co/Eo3bcrQNGU — Joe Ovies (@joeovies) August 2, 2023
That’s a fair point over the past few seasons, but FSU operating on at peak level(which appears to be on the way) is an elite program, and has been multiple times in our life times. NC State has won 10 games once, ONCE, and Wake Forest is Wake Forest. However, even still, the ACC wouldn’t be what it is now had FSU not carried if for nearly two and a half decades.
The teams that have actually jumped to the Big Ten and SEC never talked like this because they were busy joining the Big Ten and SEC. https://t.co/Q0NasmKLGX — Kevin Clark (@bykevinclark) August 2, 2023
Those teams didn’t have to talk like this because those conferences didn’t sign a media rights deal that would allow other conferences to renegotiate their media right deals multiple times before they got a new one. The reason FSU is talking like this is because the logo holds enough weight that they can. There’s a reason all of these media guys were tuning in to that FSU BOT meeting.
However, it’s a game of chess not checkers. FSU doesn’t have to leave TODAY, but as long as they leave within the next 2-3 years, that’s all that matters. Everything taking place will allow that to happen. You’re delusional if you don’t think FSU will have a seat at the table in either the B1G or SEC.
Source: Chop Chat
