Clemson and Florida State, still embroiled in a useless legal battle with the ACC, have managed to spark another discussion over unequal revenue distribution, so they have that going for them.
Previously, those schools finagled new “success initiatives” out of the league to reward success on the field, but coincidentally and quite amusingly, those schools’ success on the field has waned just as those initiatives have gone into effect. Whoops!
Now there is a discussion centered on increased revenue based on “brand valuation and television ratings,” however in the hell those two things are supposed to be sorted out. The proposal is extremely preliminary—there are no details—and any agreement would have FSU and Clemson drop their lawsuits against the ACC, an outcome both sides would prefer at this point.
While the idea of basing any payouts on television ratings makes me want to hurl myself into the sun it is so stupid (so naturally FSU fans love it), perhaps the real point here is the other matter: the length of the Grant of Rights. Clemson and FSU would like to shorten it from 2036 to 2030. That coincides with the next time TV deals for the Big Ten and Big 12 are up, and would give those schools more options should the musical chairs start up again at that point. It would lessen the financial burden they’d face if they were still hellbent on getting out of the league before then as well.
ESPN’s David Hale provided some useful added context and discussion on this whole deal on Twitter, and that’s worth a read. Tough to say whether the proposal will end up with the votes needed to pass, though I’m not sure it does much for the ACC’s long-term stability regardless.