4 key quotes from Florida State Board of Trustees meeting about conference realignment

The Florida State Board of Trustees meeting on Wednesday had more than 2,000 people watching for one key reason: conference realignment.

The Big 12 added Colorado last week, and reports have the Big Ten in preliminary talks about adding as many as four more Pac-12 teams: Washington, Oregon, Stanford and Cal. College football fans also have their eyes on FSU and its ongoing frustration over the ACC's revenue-sharing model and TV contract.

More than 2,000 people watched Wednesday's live stream as Florida State President Richard McCullough, Board of Trustees chairman Peter Collins and athletic director Michael Alford discussed leaving the ACC if the situation doesn't change. Nothing concrete was decided, but school leaders spoke up about their frustration and the likelihood that FSU will leave the ACC.

Here are some highlights from the meeting:

FSU President Richard McCullough: "FSU will have to at some point very seriously consider leaving the ACC"

McCullough opened the conversation by saying that Florida State will consider leaving if there is no "radical change to the revenue distribution."

"We are seeing large media deals have been made with places like the Big 10 and the SEC, which in many ways are creating, it's an exaggeration but an existential crisis perhaps for Florida State University," McCullough said.

AD Michael Alford has said previously that the Big Ten and SEC's new TV contracts would put ACC teams behind $30 million per year.

Former FSU quarterback Drew Weatherford: "It's not a matter of if we leave"

Trustee Drew Weatherford, who played quarterback for the Seminoles from 2005 to 2008, gave his assessment of the conference realignment conversations.

"Simple question, fundamental question: Do we want to play games moving forward, or do we want to compete?" he said.

"It's not a matter of if we leave, in my opinion, it's a matter of how and when we leave."

FSU trustee Justin Roth: "Death by a thousand cuts"

Justin Roth likened staying in the ACC and hoping everything works out by the time the TV deal ends in 2036 to "death by a thousand cuts."

Chairman Peter Collins: "We'll be back to you, possibly sooner rather than later"

Board Chair Peter Collins wrapped up the meeting by promising the discussion would return.

Collins said in an interview the day before about the ACC grant of rights: "We know what the risks are under that document, we know what the opportunities are under that document ... that will not be a document that keeps us from taking action."

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: 4 takeaways from FSU meeting on leaving the ACC