While we are still in the middle of March Madness, a story is out there waiting to be written.
How did ACC/FSU/Clemson lawsuits get settled?
Nearly a month ago a settlement was reached as reported by ESPN, and we know the details summed up below.
As a result of the settlement, the penalty to leave the conference has been significantly reduced. The grant of rights remains in place through 2036, but beginning next year, the exit fee will be $165 million. That fee then declines by $18 million per year, leveling at $75 million in 2030-31. Any team that pays the exit fee can leave with its media rights intact.
This is an obvious win for FSU, Clemson, and anyone else desiring to leave the ACC, but certainly, there is more to this story.
Did ESPN force a settlement, by saying end these lawsuits by any means or we don’t extend. Was there a legal smoking gun in FSU and Clemson’s favor that said the ACC and the rest of it’s members settle? Were several ACC members driven by fear of becoming the next Oregon State or Washington State. Was it something else entirely that we aren’t aware of?
So, who wants to break this story? ESPN’s David Hale and/or Andrea Adelson. What about Pete Thamel or Ross Dellenger? Maybe it takes a longtime ACC scribe David Teel to break this, or maybe it’s someone else out there.
A lot of fans want to know the story here, and it’s just waiting to be told.
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