College Football traditionalists are seething. The sport is slowly evolving into something way different than what they fell in love with. NIL, the transfer portal and playoff expansion have fanned the flames of this evolution and subsequent resentment from the masses. However, at the crux of what has attacked the essence of CFB has been conference realignment. Bluebloods and other historic programs left their natural habitats and loyalties at the door to, let’s be frank, maximize money. It led to the PAC-12 dissipating into the abyss. A conference etched in the fabric of the sport-dead and buried. The ACC are staring at the same fate, and may have succumbed in their fight.

When USC President Carol Folt pushed for her football program to leave the PAC-12, she started a trend. Oregon, among others, followed suit to the Big 10. Then, this ordeal reverberated across from the Pacific coast to the south. Texas and Oklahoma, two programs synonymous with history, joined the SEC. All their fans and communities were quite literally uprooted. USC fans are now asked to follow their team across the other side of the country with regularity. A travesty. Clemson and Florida State have been trying to get out of the ACC themselves. Both schools have been involved in separate legal battles to do so. Why? Again, it boils down to money. 

The ACC has signed an extension with ESPN to broadcast games up till 2036. Each of the 17 members are poised to receive roughly $25 million as dividends initially as part of a $425 million payout. This number is only going to ramp up as years pass on. Yet, this payout is way, way less lucrative than what SEC schools, for instance, stand to make. If FSU and Clemson stay put till 2036, they stand to make over $600 million less combined. Naturally, they fear falling behind the competition. With NIL already king and revenue-sharing around the corner, imagine the handicap on the recruitment front for Mike Norvell and Dabo Swinney . Hence, the two “big” schools in the conference are trying to get out of their deal with the ACC.

They’ve just been handed a “get out of jail free” card in their attempts. Well, not quite free. But at a discount of over $500 million. Andrea Adelson, David Hale and Pete Thamel of ESPN report that the ACC is close to reaching a settlement on their long-drawn lawsuits with Clemson and Florida State. As part of the settlement, the exit fee for any member comes down from about $700 million to $165 million. Thamel reports that this updated figure “descends by $18 million per year until it’s $75 million in 2030-31 and levels off. The member would leave with their media rights after paying the fee.” Great news if you’re part of the Clemson or FSU brass. For others, it all but confirms these two big fishes will imminently leave the ACC. Rendering a cloud of uncertainty over another historic power conference.

Clemson and FSU, on the other hand, can continue competing with the SEC and B1G financially. If you can’t beat them, join them. Interestingly, those aren’t the only members angling for a move. A school more known for its ventures on the hardwood than the gridiron also wants to leave the conference. That would be UNC. You’d think this came about because of their newfound figurehead Bill Belichick. Except, it’s been in the pipeline for over 2 years. Details previously kept under wraps have now boiled over to the surface.

Bill Belichick’s arrival puts pressure on UNC to compete at the highest level

The Athletic’s Matt Baker and Brendan Marks reported that UNC has spent over $600k on legal fees dating back to 2022 in order to find ways to escape their ACC deal. This started right after Texas and Oklahoma’s moves to the SEC had been announced.  In the article, it reads “a source said this could be best described as the university doing its due diligence amid a constantly shifting landscape, rather than an aggressive legal ploy.” The article also stated that a majority of the payments occurred in the past 5 months. Which points to Bill Belichick indeed being a catalyst. Scratch the surface and there’s more.

In the aforementioned article, UNC Board of Trustees’ chair John Preyer said “I firmly believe that protecting UNC financially requires us to explore every available avenue. To depart a conference that is in financial decline and is primarily serving its bottom tier schools…the current commissioner is not serving our best interests,” The school recognizes that they have a short window of opportunity to make noise with and build a contender with Bill Belichick at the helm. That factor has certainly expedited the process, and they may well reap its rewards now.

While UNC has spent $600k quietly, FSU, for instance, has spent over $3 million and let everyone know too. They’re all getting somewhere now, and these outlays weren’t a waste. Begrudgingly, the signs don’t bode well for the ACC and, by extension, CFB traditionalists. Swinney has at least shown he can win at the highest level, making Clemson’s move to stay competitive a bit more swallowable. Belichick remains an unknown quantity on this rung of the football ladder. As for Norvell, the jury is still out on him. It’s even on the cards that FSU enters their new habitat with a new coach. A completely clean state. Just like the ACC standings could soon look!