Realignment Megathread (All The Moves)

[isucy86]

Even if the ACC GOR is solid. ESPN is going to need to invest in any new ACC schools and have time slots attractive to the Pac12 schools.

The travel cost for USC and UCLA moving to the Big12 was a non-issue because the Big10 would pay them $40M more. But does an ACC/Pac12 Alliance make sense when there isn't the financial incentive to travel 3000 miles?

I recently saw a statement from West Virginia Athletic Department person that their travel costs are much higher than any other Big12 school and it puts them at a disadvantage. Aka they have to spend $3M on travel whereas other Big12 schools have been able to spend the $3M on recruiting, coaches, etc.

 

[2speedy1]

No, I would love to though.

And you know this how? We are all just guessing here. One thing we know for sure is that Florida State has been actively looking for an out to their GOR. If they have an opportunity, they will likely take advantage of it.

https://www.wralsportsfan.com/ncsu/document/20361238/

What does the ACC's Grant of Rights agreement say? Here's a copy

Conference realignment is shaking college athletics once again. The key to ACC stability appears to be its grant of rights agreement. Read it here.

www.wralsportsfan.com

These 4 sheets of paper hold the ACC together: Inside the league’s grant-of-rights

The Atlantic Coast Conference is being held together by four sheets of paper.

www.cbs17.com

Google is not that hard.

 

[Gorm]

https://www.wralsportsfan.com/ncsu/document/20361238/

What does the ACC's Grant of Rights agreement say? Here's a copy

Conference realignment is shaking college athletics once again. The key to ACC stability appears to be its grant of rights agreement. Read it here.

www.wralsportsfan.com

These 4 sheets of paper hold the ACC together: Inside the league’s grant-of-rights

The Atlantic Coast Conference is being held together by four sheets of paper.

www.cbs17.com

Google is not that hard.

Posting a comment and having others (especially the ones who got triggered by the comment), do the work for you also seems to not be that hard.

 

[clone52]

If this were the case, FSU, Clemson and Miami would have been actively trying to add any teams who would bite. Why go out, like FSU did and start clamoring about wanting more money/unequal share from the current teams if all they had to do was to start convincing the other schools that adding teams would be the best bet for the ACC.

I'm not a lawyer, I haven't read any GOR contracts in full, but I am amazed at how many people think the things are so easy to manipulate and get out of. If GOR didn't mean anything, OU And UT would have been gone right away. The only way they are even leaving early is the remaining Big 12 teams figured it was in our best interest to just move on without them. That was only one year early and OU and UT still have to pay to leave.

I never said it'd be easy to manipulate.

I'm no Lawyer either, but if it is really difficult, OU and UT might have said 2 years wasn't worth fighting over. 10 years for an ACC school might be another matter, though.

 

[Gorm]

I never said it'd be easy to manipulate.

I'm no Lawyer either, but if it is really difficult, OU and UT might have said 2 years wasn't worth fighting over. 10 years for an ACC school might be another matter, though.

Any legal fight would have probably taken close to 2 years to go through the court system. I'm sure that also played a factor.

 

[legi]

…the smoke surrounding Colorado moving is at an all-time high.

Lol. Well done Scheer.

 

[isucy86]

Any legal fight would have probably taken close to 2 years to go through the court system. I'm sure that also played a factor.

Greg Flugaur had a YouTube vlog a few weeks ago stating that Florida State might contest the ACC GOR. The logic being FSU as a Florida state governmental entity may contest the GOR as the ACC Conference Office is located in another state (NC). Who knows what a Florida judge would decide.

He had another couple reasons, both involving Notre Dame. The one I recall came into play if ND joined the Big10. Since ND football teams play 2-3 games a season at ACC stadiums, those games are shown on ABC/ESPN. Notre Dame MBB and all other sports are part of the ESPN's ACCN deal. By ND leaving their ACC Alliance, the value of ESPN's deal with the ACC would be materially impacted and ESPN could void their ACC media rights deal.

 

[FriendlySpartan]

Greg Flugaur had a YouTube vlog a few weeks ago stating that Florida State might contest the ACC GOR. The logic being FSU as a Florida state governmental entity may contest the GOR as the ACC Conference Office is located in another state (NC). Who knows what a Florida judge would decide.

He had another couple reasons, both involving Notre Dame. The one I recall came into play if ND joined the Big10. Since ND football teams play 2-3 games a season at ACC stadiums, those games are shown on ABC/ESPN. Notre Dame MBB and all other sports are part of the ESPN's ACCN deal. By ND leaving their ACC Alliance, the value of ESPN's deal with the ACC would be materially impacted and ESPN could void their ACC media rights deal.

Suggesting that ESPN would void the single best media rights deal they have certainly is a take. Not a smart one, but a take

 

[isucy86]

https://www.wralsportsfan.com/ncsu/document/20361238/

What does the ACC's Grant of Rights agreement say? Here's a copy

Conference realignment is shaking college athletics once again. The key to ACC stability appears to be its grant of rights agreement. Read it here.

www.wralsportsfan.com

These 4 sheets of paper hold the ACC together: Inside the league’s grant-of-rights

The Atlantic Coast Conference is being held together by four sheets of paper.

www.cbs17.com

Google is not that hard.

Those links have been used to document the ACC GOR. But the linked GOR documents seem to be from 2013. The WRAL article includes the following disclaimer:

In 2016, the ACC extended its grant of rights through the 2035-36 academic year as part of a 20-year agreement with ESPN that included the launch of the ACC Network. WRAL does not have a copy of any amended grant of rights agreement.

So could be language was changed if Presidents had to re-sign when the ACCN was formed. Regardless, I would think the media rights deal between ACC and ESPN would provide more opportunities for breaking up the ACC before 2036.

 

[2speedy1]

Those links have used to document the ACC GOR. But the linked GOR documents seem to be from 2013. The WRAL article includes the following disclaimer:

In 2016, the ACC extended its grant of rights through the 2035-36 academic year as part of a 20-year agreement with ESPN that included the launch of the ACC Network. WRAL does not have a copy of any amended grant of rights agreement.

So could be language was changed if Presidents had to re-sign when the ACCN was formed. Regardless, I would think the media rights deal between ACC and ESPN would provide more opportunities for breaking up the ACC before 2036.

Everything I have read about both the media deal and the GOR, both were just extended in 2016, both had the same terms accept length. From what I have read it was a straight up extension not rewrite.

This is why the 2013 agreements are still used because that is the actual agreement, and from there it was just extended, therefore the end date was all that was changed.

I will see if I can find any more info, etc, but you are welcome to show me something that says otherwise too.

 

[Gorm]

Greg Flugaur had a YouTube vlog a few weeks ago stating that Florida State might contest the ACC GOR. The logic being FSU as a Florida state governmental entity may contest the GOR as the ACC Conference Office is located in another state (NC). Who knows what a Florida judge would decide.

He had another couple reasons, both involving Notre Dame. The one I recall came into play if ND joined the Big10. Since ND football teams play 2-3 games a season at ACC stadiums, those games are shown on ABC/ESPN. Notre Dame MBB and all other sports are part of the ESPN's ACCN deal. By ND leaving their ACC Alliance, the value of ESPN's deal with the ACC would be materially impacted and ESPN could void their ACC media rights deal.

Don't worry, I'm sure the ACC is gonna be just fine. Posters on this board assured me the ACC GOR can't be broken.

 

[FriendlySpartan]

Don't worry, I'm sure the ACC is gonna be just fine. Posters on this board assured me the ACC GOR can't be broken.

Yep just posters on this board, lawyers, media executives, etc

 

[isucy86]

Suggesting that ESPN would void the single best media rights deal they have certainly is a take. Not a smart one, but a take

Maybe, but only if ESPN values their ACC relationship. While ESPN's media deal with the ACC is a bargain at $17M per school, the total annual investment by ESPN is $240M. So what if ESPN would prefer inventory of just 4 ACC premier brands like Clemson, Florida State, Miami and North Carolina vs. all 14 teams inventory?

From an investment standpoint

• Current ACC Deal - $240M annually
• Adding 4 ACC Schools to Current SEC Deal - $220M annually ($55M/school)

Plus ESPN would save operating/production costs by eliminating the ACCN (just having SECN).

On3 Article on Media Rights Values

 

[2speedy1]

Those links have used to document the ACC GOR. But the linked GOR documents seem to be from 2013. The WRAL article includes the following disclaimer:

In 2016, the ACC extended its grant of rights through the 2035-36 academic year as part of a 20-year agreement with ESPN that included the launch of the ACC Network. WRAL does not have a copy of any amended grant of rights agreement.

So could be language was changed if Presidents had to re-sign when the ACCN was formed. Regardless, I would think the media rights deal between ACC and ESPN would provide more opportunities for breaking up the ACC before 2036.

Don't worry, I'm sure the ACC is gonna be just fine. Posters on this board assured me the ACC GOR can't be broken.

Since google is hard for people again.

2016 amendments to the 2013 ACC GOR:

https://t.co/VROCqk5P8Q

ACC Manual including constitution/bylaws:

https://virginiatech.sportswar.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2022/08/2020-21-ACC-Manual-2020-9-17-2.pdf

 

[FriendlySpartan]

Maybe, but only if ESPN values their ACC relationship. While ESPN's media deal with the ACC is a bargain at $17M per school, the total annual investment by ESPN is $240M. So what if ESPN would prefer inventory of just 4 ACC premier brands like Clemson, Florida State, Miami and North Carolina vs. all 14 teams inventory?

From an investment standpoint

• Current ACC Deal - $240M annually
• Adding 4 ACC Schools to Current SEC Deal - $220M annually ($55M/school)

Plus ESPN would save operating/production costs by eliminating the ACCN (just having SECN).

On3 Article on Media Rights Values

Oh boy. So in your world ESPN would rather cut 20mil of costs (plus ACCN) to lose the rights to 10 other schools in football and basketball? Not sure if you took business classes at ISU but that is a horrific deal. ESPN has the ACC locked in at minimal cost for another decade while sports media costs continue to go up. It would be negligent of ESPN to do the deal you described.

 

[Gunnerclone]

Don't worry, I'm sure the ACC is gonna be just fine. Posters on this board assured me the ACC GOR can't be broken.

It’s quite the hot take on reality. Everything can be broken. All you need is time and money.

 

[cysmiley]

Oh boy. So in your world ESPN would rather cut 20mil of costs (plus ACCN) to lose the rights to 10 other schools in football and basketball? Not sure if you took business classes at ISU but that is a horrific deal. ESPN has the ACC locked in at minimal cost for another decade while sports media costs continue to go up. It would be negligent of ESPN to do the deal you described.

And my experience is Disney is never negligent when it comes to money.

 

[FrankDrebin]

Oh boy. So in your world ESPN would rather cut 20mil of costs (plus ACCN) to lose the rights to 10 other schools in football and basketball? Not sure if you took business classes at ISU but that is a horrific deal. ESPN has the ACC locked in at minimal cost for another decade while sports media costs continue to go up. It would be negligent of ESPN to do the deal you described.

Exactly. FSU, Clemson, Miami, UNC, Duke MBB, VT, Louisville, and NC State all on the cheap for over a decade isn't getting ripped up unless dragged kicking and screaming.

 

[FriendlySpartan]

And my experience is Disney is never negligent when it comes to money.

Hahaha there was the ESPN phone lol. But still voiding the ACC deal is very very stupid.

 

[Gunnerclone]

Oh boy. So in your world ESPN would rather cut 20mil of costs (plus ACCN) to lose the rights to 10 other schools in football and basketball? Not sure if you took business classes at ISU but that is a horrific deal. ESPN has the ACC locked in at minimal cost for another decade while sports media costs continue to go up. It would be negligent of ESPN to do the deal you described.

You don’t know if there is an upside or what the upside is. None of us do. But to just flat out deny a potential upside is something I hope they don’t teach at MSU business school.