Two HUGE Developments Emerge In FSU's Legal Battle Against The ACC
There have been two massive developments today in the FSU v. ACC lawsuits that were filed against each other in their respective counties.
According to Matt Baker of the Tampa Bay Times, “at least” six ACC members in Virginia, Syracuse, Duke, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, and Boston College were in favor of the conference filing suit against Florida State. This information was revealed through an affidavit by James E. Ryan, President of Virginia and Chairman of the ACC Board of Directors.
This is the first time that we’ve seen other schools from the Atlantic Coast Conference be in opposition to FSU in a legal sense.
The reasoning for the six schools voting in favor of filing against FSU is still in question. With Florida State raking in a large share of the conference’s viewership, it would make sense that the schools mentioned above do not want to see FSU leave as it could affect the brand of the conference and the pocketbooks of its members.
It is also possible that keeping Florida State and other schools from leaving for a few years could allow the conference’s members more time (while costing less money) to find another conference should it dissolve with a mass exodus of universities.
Clemson has joined Florida State in bringing its own lawsuit against the ACC. Their suit was filed in Pickens County, South Carolina.
It brings multiple reasons for its suit including the validity of the ACC's Grant of Rights Deal once a university leaves the conference, the notion that Clemson does not have any fiduciary responsibilities for the other members, and the idea that the $140 million exit fee is "unenforceable."
This development creates a problem for the ACC. Not only does it look bad for the conference’s brand, but it instigates another legal battle not on its home turf of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina.
Assuming the ACC will countersue and both Clemson and the conference will file motions to dismiss or stay on each other’s lawsuits (which was the progression of events in the FSU v. ACC suits), there is a similar possibility that arguments will be heard away from North Carolina in accordance with South Carolina’s laws, which is likely favorable to Clemson.
This is a developing story.
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