College football has always been a dog-eat-dog world, but it’s been especially true in recent years, as conference realignment has caused the degradation of smaller conferences and even the dissolution of the Pac-12.
The Big 12, along with the remaining Power Four conferences, have taken advantage of the opportunities though, adding what was left over of the Pac-12 once its bigger brands bounced for fatter paychecks.
The ACC has found itself in a similar situation to that of the Pac-12 in recent months, too, as its schools have searched for any way to get out of their television contract with ESPN, widely known as the worst contract in sports.
Unfortunately for the programs hoping to leave the ACC, the contract is in the process of reaching an extension on Thursday morning, according to Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports.
“ACC executives are in the process of formally ratifying the extension of its television contract with ESPN for another nine years, sources tell Yahoo Sports,” Dellenger writes. “In a long-expected move, ESPN is exercising the option in its agreement with the league. The network’s extension takes the contract, currently expiring in 2027, to 2036. The deal remains mostly unchanged.”
One of the few changes that is coming with the extension, however, is something that would appear to incentivize its biggest brands—namely Clemson, Florida State, and Miami—to stick around.
“As part of the extension, the league’s biggest brands — Florida State, Miami and Clemson — are expected to play more football games regularly with Notre Dame. The Irish are expected to play, at the very least, two of the three each season in a rotation,” says Dellenger.
“The extension paves the way for the league to potentially finalize a settlement with Clemson and Florida State that would keep them in the conference under possible alterations to the conference grant of rights and the league’s revenue distribution structure, as Yahoo Sports reported in September. The sides, negotiating for months now, are inching closer to a resolution.”
It’s been relatively hostile between the ACC and its more prominent brands, as Florida State and Clemson have been very vocal about their desire to leave the conference. But, it appears this new extension might be enough to sweep things under the rug for the time being.
While the Big 12 would love to add these brands to their expanding footprint, there’s just no path to doing so while the ACC contract is in place. And, if the Big Ten or SEC come knocking when the contract is finally up in 2036, there’s virtually no shot that the Big 12 will be able to compete in an offer-for-offer bidding war.
