MEGA Conference Realignment and lawsuits Megathread(Its still personal)

[Cryptical Envelopment]

Mentioned the FSU-Clemson "partnership" before, but this comes from the Trailerhassee paper today:

"Clemson, which is in lockstep with FSU, also is pushing for change with revenue distribution within the ACC."

This would be the one and only time we should pursue a three-way with those two despicable programs.

So 3 vs. 11? Or even 6 vs 8? This is the same as the succession conversation. The majority of teams, who would be harmed by this, are not going to vote for anything that damages them financially, without consideration. They would probably ask for the GOR to be extended ANOTHER 25 years for them to accept an inequitable deal like this. LOL.

And inequitable conferences are a disaster.

Guys, any way you slice it, the whole situation is FUBAR. It's going to get really messy, there is no "answer" IMO. Each team has equal voting power, and there are more have-nots than haves.

 

[Rellyrell]

Why not have an out at the halfway mark to renegotiate if the college football landscape changed?

Each team would have to take less per year for that benefit but it obviously would’ve been worth it.

I don’t remember if it was the nfl or nba contract with the players that had something like that in there.

Bro; it was a dumb contract all around, especially when the ACC was the last conference to negotiate TV rights. It’s not like they didn’t have examples b4 them. Lol.

But these schools can complain about this all they want; it’s their dumb AD asses that allowed & signed off on this. If buyer’s remorse was a person, it would be the Universities AD’s & Boards in this dumb *** conference.

 

[Canesrule230]

SIAP... Looks like fsu's pushing this hard

 

[Hold My Beer]

So 3 vs. 11? Or even 6 vs 8? This is the same as the succession conversation. The majority of teams, who would be harmed by this, are not going to vote for anything that damages them financially, without consideration. They would probably ask for the GOR to be extended ANOTHER 25 years for them to accept an inequitable deal like this. LOL.

And inequitable conferences are a disaster.

Guys, any way you slice it, the whole situation is FUBAR. It's going to get really messy, there is no "answer" IMO. Each team has equal voting power, and there are more have-nots than haves.

Think we could see FSU, Clemson and us start to poke around on the GoR.

People keep talking about the price of challenging the agreement, but it will cost the ACC a fortune to defend if multiple schools are separately contesting its validity and it ends up in court. The rest of the schools would have to pay out of pocket to cover the conference's legal bill.

The longer it goes and more expensive it gets, the better a lifeboat to the Big 12 looks to the ACC's have-nots.

 

[cocanes]

SIAP... Looks like fsu's pushing this hard

Apologies not accepted

 

[Canesrule230]

Apologies not accepted

lol

 

[Cryptical Envelopment]

Think we could see FSU, Clemson and us start to poke around on the GoR.

People keep talking about the price of challenging the agreement, but it will cost the ACC a fortune to defend if multiple schools are separately contesting its validity and it ends up in court. The rest of the schools would have to pay out of pocket to cover the conference's legal bill.

The longer it goes and more expensive it gets, the better a lifeboat to the Big 12 looks to the ACC's have-nots.

Contracts are contracts. They are designed to be enforceable, and written based on precedent and cited law. They are agreements. This is isn't two guys on the corner. This is a conference with members that have over $60B of combined endowment, they aren't Calling Saul. If the deal WAS somehow poorly conceived, which is highly, highly doubtful considering GOR is not a new, ground-breaking concept and, again I'm sure a boatload of white-shoe law firms were on this, then ok, I guess it might make sense to challenge it. But there is zero evidence or even suggestion that it's a flawed document, just a bunch of internet wish sandwiches.

There is also zero chance that the have-nots are going to "let it go" because of legal costs. No offense, but that might be the funniest one yet.

First of all, and this is silly to even entertain, but ok, we'd be splitting our bill three ways, they'd be splitting theirs 11 ways. But that doesn't even matter. The cost of leaving for UM, FSU and Clemson would be, on paper, if what we read is accurate, $1B~ combined. No one is laying down on a $1B lawsuit over the cost of legal lol. Not to mention the GOR could (likely IMO) contain language that if the contesting schools try to challenge the agreement and lose, they would have to cover the conference's legal expenses. And the ACC has zero reason to think they'd lose.

 

[Angry Ibis]

We have people here adamant that there is no way out. If there is no answer until 2036, why fret in 2023?

 

[Hurracanes]

We have people here adamant that there is no way out. If there is no answer until 2036, why fret in 2023?

It’s happening sooner than later.

 

[cway313]

We should stick around to let FSU pay us to leave the ACC then use that money to get the **** out.

 

[kccanefan]

We have people here adamant that there is no way out. If there is no answer until 2036, why fret in 2023?

 

[Angry Ibis]

It’s happening sooner than later.

I have zero information and I am 100% confident you are correct .

 

[calinative umstudent]

Contracts are contracts. They are designed to be enforceable, and written based on precedent and cited law. They are agreements. This is isn't two guys on the corner. This is a conference with members that have over $60B of combined endowment, they aren't Calling Saul. If the deal WAS somehow poorly conceived, which is highly, highly doubtful considering GOR is not a new, ground-breaking concept and, again I'm sure a boatload of white-shoe law firms were on this, then ok, I guess it might make sense to challenge it. But there is zero evidence or even suggestion that it's a flawed document, just a bunch of internet wish sandwiches.

There is also zero chance that the have-nots are going to "let it go" because of legal costs. No offense, but that might be the funniest one yet.

First of all, and this is silly to even entertain, but ok, we'd be splitting our bill three ways, they'd be splitting theirs 11 ways. But that doesn't even matter. The cost of leaving for UM, FSU and Clemson would be, on paper, if what we read is accurate, $1B~ combined. No one is laying down on a $1B lawsuit over the cost of legal lol. Not to mention the GOR could (likely IMO) contain language that if the contesting schools try to challenge the agreement and lose, they would have to cover the conference's legal expenses. And the ACC has zero reason to think they'd lose.

The larger the "cost" to exit the GOR, the better argument we are able to make to get out of it.
ianal though.

 

[calinative umstudent]

The unequal distribution seems to be step 1 to get out of the GOR imo. First you gotta force the unequal distribution. If everyone accepts it, then maybe those schools that are getting signficantly less will now be more open to leaving themselves (like if B12 is offering more money). If they don't accept unequal distribution, there is an even better argument in court against the GOR.

 

[Hold My Beer]

There is also zero chance that the have-nots are going to "let it go" because of legal costs. No offense, but that might be the funniest one yet.

Well, I certainly could be wrong as my wife frequently reminds me

First of all, and this is silly to even entertain, but ok, we'd be splitting our bill three ways, they'd be splitting theirs 11 ways. But that doesn't even matter. The cost of leaving for UM, FSU and Clemson would be, on paper, if what we read is accurate, $1B~ combined. No one is laying down on a $1B lawsuit over the cost of legal lol. Not to mention the GOR could (likely IMO) contain language that if the contesting schools try to challenge the agreement and lose, they would have to cover the conference's legal expenses. And the ACC has zero reason to think they'd lose.

Don't know about that $1B pricetag -- more like a huge number thrown out there to be a scare tactic by those who don't want to see the GoR challenged

I also don't think all 11 schools besides UM, Clemson and FSU are opposed to the ACC unraveling even if they might not take that stance publicly for political reasons (see UNC and UVA for example). Canes, Noles and Tigers aren't the only ones with legit P2 options.

The GoR isn't the stone-cold unbeaten agreement many paint it out to be, imo — especially if ESPN, the SEC and Big Ten are in favor of the outcome of a collapsed ACC.

 

[Yoyo82]

So 3 vs. 11? Or even 6 vs 8? This is the same as the succession conversation. The majority of teams, who would be harmed by this, are not going to vote for anything that damages them financially, without consideration. They would probably ask for the GOR to be extended ANOTHER 25 years for them to accept an inequitable deal like this. LOL.

And inequitable conferences are a disaster.

Guys, any way you slice it, the whole situation is FUBAR. It's going to get really messy, there is no "answer" IMO. Each team has equal voting power, and there are more have-nots than haves.

I keep repeating this but the PAC and Big12 both pay their teams more and would LOVE to steal many teams from the ACC. They're both desperate.

UNC, Duke, UVA, GT, VT could probably join the PAC. They have the academics, media market, and good enough at sports to make everybody's slice bigger in the PAC.

Pitt, Louisville, and NCST could join the Big12 and add value.

Miami Clemson and FSU could land in either the B1G or SEC.

 

[Cryptical Envelopment]

It’s happening sooner than later.

I hope you're right and I can't wait to see what the path out was, if you are.

 

[Cryptical Envelopment]

Well, I certainly could be wrong as my wife frequently reminds me



Don't know about that $1B pricetag -- more like a huge number thrown out there to be a scare tactic by those who don't want to see the GoR challenged

I also don't think all 11 schools besides UM, Clemson and FSU are opposed to the ACC unraveling even if they might not take that stance publicly for political reasons (see UNC and UVA for example). Canes, Noles and Tigers aren't the only ones with legit P2 options.

The GoR isn't the stone-cold unbeaten agreement many paint it out to be, imo — especially if ESPN, the SEC and Big Ten are in favor of the outcome of a collapsed ACC.

Does your wife have a sister? Cause I might have married her.

I agree re: 11. I think it's 5-6 that would land in a better place. Not enough. But maybe I am wrong and there are enough. The ACC would have to pre-engineer a superior landing spot for however many schools it would take to break this ***** up, and rock CFB with one swing of the sword, with nearly every other conference in on it. Is it eight that is needed to want to break it up, a majority? Or do they need a super-majority like 75%? I do not know the details.

 

[Cryptical Envelopment]

I keep repeating this but the PAC and Big12 both pay their teams more and would LOVE to steal many teams from the ACC. They're both desperate.

UNC, Duke, UVA, GT, VT could probably join the PAC. They have the academics, media market, and good enough at sports to make everybody's slice bigger in the PAC.

Pitt, Louisville, and NCST could join the Big12 and add value.

Miami Clemson and FSU could land in either the B1G or SEC.

I know you've repeated it, but I don't agree. First of all, a future ACC that keeps all its teams intact will probably be more valuable than the Pac-12 and the Big 12. IMO. It's not that we're not valuable, it's that we have a crappy long-term deal we can't get out of.

But that's neither here nor there.

I think that, and crap, I hate having to be pinned down here, but I think that Miami, FSU, Clemson, UNC, and UVA would end up SEC or B1G.

I think Syracuse, BC, Wake, GT, and possibly Duke die on the vine. Get relegated to G5.

That's 5 vs. 5.

So you have L'ville, NCST, PITT and VT left, right? They might be the deciding votes. Does one or more of them make the SEC/B1G and vote to go? I don't see why they would. I don't see how a single one of them add enough value. Maybe PITT, outside chance. But I'd be surprised. Does the B!G really NEED PITT? With PSU and OSU already in? Even with PITT it's not enough. Do these teams really add enough value to make spitting the Big 12 or Pac-12 pie up even more? Is ESPN/FOX going to up the TV deal because the Big 12 added... NCST? And if they do, again, is that conference REALLY worth more that one with Miami, FSU, Clemson, UNC, and UVA aka the existing ACC? I don't see it, it's just getting bigger for the sake of bigger, and that's where it blows up for me. We can talk added media markets, but I don't see it.

But maybe they do, and maybe that's the way this goes. I'd be surprised and I think the networks would balk at the extra $ needed.

Gonna be a wild ride. FSU is suddenly playing chaos agent right now, and that's not arbitrary. This is great TV.

 

[Jonnyblaze]

FSU is posturing. As another poster said in a different thread, there’s no way they roll the dice and end up with a $300 mil bill to leave the ACC.

The real way to do it is how OU/UT and USC/UCLA did it. Keep it quiet, then boom. You don’t telegraph your punches like that.