For those following realignment news, the last few weeks have been a whirlwind – of a lot – simply put trash. If you’re buying into the vast majority even at a surface level, I’m unsure what to tell you, other than a Nigerian prince has an email waiting for you.
That said you can’t dismiss what is happening from an ACC perspective. The ACC is in litigation with two members Clemson and FSU who have major revenue concerns.
With the ACC Meetings coming up this week, again I hope Jim Phillips has a plan or something anything in motion. We hear rumors, but rarely see anything of significance come forward. That is deserved criticism of Phillips. Don’t Kliavkoff the situation, with promises of action and we see nothing in the end. It’s time to speak up right now.
In the meantime, ESPN ACC reporter @ADavidHaleJoint speculates on some of the major issues facing the ACC.
Guys, I’d love to give you all kinds of gossip on this stuff but a) it’d prob get me fired and b) I really don’t know much about the espn side of it (beyond my pay grade). Only thing I can say for certain is I’ve heard no indication espn is eager to get out of this deal at the… https://t.co/HTxMKFaems
—
(@ADavidHaleJoint) July 21, 2024
UNC has no real incentive to be out front on this. Let FSU/Clemson be canary in the coal mine and make a decision when more info is available. UNC would prob have a good window in either B1G or SEC if a door was opened. No need to be the one to kick it down. https://t.co/kHPkFbgT5G
—
I don’t buy any of the SEC & B1G aren’t interested. Clemson and FSU would have a home if they were free agents. The Q is how much $ would they get for it. Oregon and Wash just went to B1G for .40 on the dollar. That’s not the deal Clemson & FSU are looking for. https://t.co/ww1ABpUGYu
—
I’d have to dig in on this a bit more but ACC’s latest 990 filing shows about $200M more annually in TV revenue than pre-network and espn and ACC are 50/50 partners. The network, despite the handwringing, has been very lucrative. The problem for ACC is the primary TV deal. https://t.co/A8A9VAIJx0
—
A point on that last tweet… We’ve been saying for years the ACC Network is a huge success, but the base deal is a mess. As we wrote 2 months ago, if you’re discussing the ACC and leave out a mention of the ACC Network it’s a sure sign you don’t really understand the dynamics at play of the ACC.
I respect Hale for taking educated guesses and avoiding massive proclamations that we see from realignment clickbaiters.
This week should be interesting at the ACC football media days, but let’s remember at the end of the day it’s still a week for the football programs and the players. It’s not just a week of self-promotion. While we are interested in realignment news, let’s not overshadow the actual event which would be a disservice to the players, coaches, and programs.
