Peace was seemingly never a realistic option for Clemson and the ACC, given their trajectory towards separating despite their prominent football program and major conference status. Clemson is currently pursuing legal action against the conference for financial losses related to its grant of rights.
According to Matt Baker of the Tampa Bay Times, efforts to settle out of court last August were unsuccessful. ACC attorney Jim Cooney proposed a temporary agreement where both parties would refrain from legal action until August 1, 2024, but negotiations reportedly ended without resolution.
Clemson And Florida State Lead The Charge To Leave The ACC
As previously noted, that scenario did not unfold. Instead, Clemson initiated a lawsuit against the ACC in a South Carolina court in March, aiming for a judgment that would render the Grant of Rights invalid. This legal move is intended to enable Clemson to depart the conference, potentially joining the SEC or Big Ten, without facing substantial financial penalties.
Clemson’s actions follow a similar path taken by Florida State, which also sought to exit the ACC, prompting the conference to counter with a lawsuit against the Seminoles.
Notably, Clemson and North Carolina were the only schools in the conference to oppose this counteraction. According to Baker, both Clemson and Florida State are pursuing separate legal claims against the ACC to clarify the financial implications of leaving the league. Exit fees alone are estimated at around $140 million each, with future TV revenues pushing the total cost to over $500 million per school. Ultimately, the ACC appears to be on a trajectory similar to the PAC-12, with its fate now a matter of timing rather than uncertainty.
