More Trouble for ACC as $250M Loss Teams Fuel Bill Belichick to Influence a Mass Exodus

Amidst the transfer portal news, something has been turning heads for quite some time now. That’s the controversy involving Clemson and Florida State vs. the ACC lawsuit. Yes, as always, the revenue-sharing framework is too confusing. However, Dabo Swinney and Mike Norvell were all set to swap wagons and join either the Big 10 or the SEC. The reason? The disparity in ACC’s revenue as compared to the other conferences. However, looks like the conference has come up with a deal to cater to their demands. 

While that might pacify Clemson and FSU for the time being, other programs might follow the same path to squeeze in more money. The first one to influence the mass exodus is likely to be Bill Belichick and the North Carolina Tar Heels.   

ACC still has a long way to call themselves in a safe place

The numbers that came forward with the Clemson and FSU vs. ACC lawsuit have been shocking. The SEC conference had curated its own deal and generated close to $853 Million in 2023, distributing $51.3 million to its teams. Even though Big 10 did not hit that mark, they generated $880 Million in the same year with $60.3 million going to each team. When it came to ACC, the programs got $45 million each, as the total revenue had been $706 million. So, you can get the frustration, right? However, ACC has whipped up a master plan to retain its powerful teams like the Seminoles and the Tigers. They are moving forward with a nine-year extension of its TV deal with ESPN, which will run through 2036. Now if the ACC thinks that this would put an end to their woes, they are mistaken.

On the Locked on BIG 10 podcast, host Craig Shemon shed light on the impending challenges. Apparently, it seems like the conference saved themselves from the $250 million loss that would have been tough for ACC to handle on the two teams’ departure. But this is just the beginning. Now that the teams pressured the conference to squeeze in some more money, the podcast host stated, “I still think the key to this are the middle tier schools that want the Florida State and Clemson, they get their special treatment they’re going to want that special treatment too. That’s where the real fight’s going to be.” Well, we don’t have the exact numbers. But we do have a reference. As ACC commissioner Jim Philips stated, the league’s addition of Stanford, California, and SMU through expansion brought them $600 million in additional incremental revenue through the media-rights deal. 

That’s when there are chances of the Tar Heels HC Belichick to pounce upon the ACC. As Shemon noted, “Some of those good middle-tier teams are going to be going, ‘Wait a minute, we’re not giving Florida State more money than us. We’re not giving Clemson more than us…’ They’re going to use leaving and threatening to go to the Big 10 and the SEC.” After all, Belichick knows that neither the Big 10 nor the SEC would leave any stone unturned to land him. This might leave ACC with heavy regret. 

How does the Bill Belichick factor haunt the ACC? 

After all, the ACC must be boasting with pride to have an HC fresh off from the NFL. Yes, that man might have gotten enough hate when it came to the Spygate controversy or his dating life. But no doubt he has some strong hold over the coaching tactics. No wonder, at 72, doubts prevailed around Belichick to try his luck in college football.

Even analysts did not shy away from sounding an alarm for the Tar Heels HC. On The Solid Verbal College Football Podcast, analyst Bruce Feldman stated, “North Carolina folks and Bill Belichick can talk about, like yeah, it’s going to be like an NFL model…but like enough, people. I know who are actually been doing a job for a while…it’s going to drive him [Belichick] mad.” They thought that things would be tough for him to compete in the recruiting race. More so, when there are coaches like Lane Kiffin and Dan Lanning who are much younger than him. 

And here is he now. As of December, Bill Belichick has landed seven transfers. Right now, he comes off as the biggest threat for Greg Schiano. The 8x Super Bowl winner knocks on Rutgers Scarlet Knights’ door. The Tar Heels HC is out on the road to check out Rutgers’ 5-star phenom, WR Dyzier Carter. If the ACC doesn’t want to fall behind, it better start paying up to keep its teams satisfied.