Clemson and Florida State are already fighting the ACC in court over the conference's huge withdrawal fees, and many observers expect the two schools to leave the league as the next big step in college football restructuring.
“They're going to leave,” college football writer Brett McMurphy said on The Paul Finebaum Show.
“The question is not if, but when. I was at the ACC spring meeting a few weeks ago and ACC sources told me they will fight this to the end, which is not surprising. Obviously there will have to be a settlement at some point, but the ACC is looking to delay that settlement for as long as they can.”
And if that settlement goes through, it could pave the way for other ACC schools to relocate.
“Once the two schools reach a settlement and the number of withdrawals at Florida State and Clemson are determined, it will pave the way for other universities to also withdraw,” McMurphy added.
“North Carolina, Virginia. The SEC would definitely be interested. I don't think Florida State or Clemson would be interested because they've already got Florida and South Carolina.”
Recently, rumors circulated that the University was considering leaving the ACC after a member of the University of North Carolina Board of Trustees stated that the university was interested in leaving the ACC, but the speculation subsided when it became clear that this was not a shared view among other decision-makers at the University of North Carolina.
If the ACC's worst-case scenario comes true and the SEC shows no interest in adding Clemson or Florida State, the Big Ten would be the other most likely destination.
By adding four former Pac-12 schools, the conference is signaling that it sees itself as a national player, not just a geographic one, and a push into the Southeast to capitalize on the media exposure and recruiting advantage would fit that logic.
But McMurphy said the SEC is a possible destination if North Carolina chooses to leave the ACC.
Last offseason, it was revealed that Clemson and Florida State were two of the so-called “Magnificent Seven” schools exploring the possibility of opting out of the ACC's rights agreement, which expires in 2036. North Carolina was the third.
To leave the conference before that date, a school must pay a nine-figure withdrawal fee.
But at least Clemson and Florida State appear to want to move before that date to take full advantage of new markets that have emerged since last offseason's landmark expansion phase.
However, this is all just speculation at this point, and this timeline isn't moving anytime soon.
“The ACC is going to delay this for as long as they can,” McMurphy said. “In a weird way, they seem to be taking a page out of legendary University of North Carolina basketball coach Dean Smith's playbook.”
“They're going to drag it out. They're going to drag it out. Eventually, if the judge says a settlement has to be reached, they'll do it. But until then, they're going to drag it out and hope it takes years, not years.”
(McMurphy, about Finebaum)
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