Florida State's lawsuit against ACC heads to court Tuesday
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The legal fight between Florida State and the Atlantic Coast Conference heads to court on Tuesday.
The Seminoles want to leave the ACC without paying an enormous exit fee for breaking the contract, a move coming on the heels of FSU's surprising exclusion from the College Football Playoff in December.
READ: Florida State sues ACC, marking first step towards departure of conference
Florida State says they're suing the conference for mismanaging their media rights and imposing what they say are ‘draconian’ exit fees should the team try to split away from the conference.
There are hundreds of millions of dollars at stake in this fight, and things could get messier before a resolution comes. That's because Clemson has also filed a lawsuit against the ACC.
For years, Florida State has chafed over the ACC's revenue-sharing plan, specifically the conference's TV rights deal with ESPN, which pays significantly less than the deals the SEC and Big Ten recently secured.
READ: Florida Senator Rick Scott demands answers after FSU snubbed from College Football Playoff
The university can't leave the ACC without owing the conference over half a billion dollars in penalties, which FSU lawyers are arguing is illegal.
"As an institution, FSU cannot be expected to sit idly by while this gap grows," said FSU Board of Trustees Chair Peter Collins.
The ACC has also filed its own lawsuit against Florida State for breach of contract. The ACC and ESPN are fighting to protect their media rights deal, which runs through 2036.
"All we're looking for is an equitable, competitive environment where teams that are competing for championships are waking up and playing by the same rules," FSU Trustee Drew Weatherford said.
