OT: Florida State to sue ACC over GOR

[UConnJim]

Fortunately, we'll all know in the near future what the the ESPN contract and GORs are all about in the near future and we won't have to speculate anymore.

 

[KryHavok]

It is a huge stretch for anyone to believe the FSU lawyers just now traveled to NC to undertake this mission when they could've done it at any point.

Yes, but it makes for better optics to have the public temper tantrum now that they've been summarily excluded from the CFO.

 

[KryHavok]

Common sense tells you that sooner or later BC, Syr and maybe Pitt are cooked.

...and all will be right with the world that day.

 

[The Yakk]

Privates. Publics. Public State-related. cuse. It would be a nice conference for us...

Lol don't forget the proven mixture of football schools and basketball-only's.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

And you won't...FSU's lawyers could only recently review the ESPN contract (after demanding access) by travelling to North Carolina and reviewing it while under watch...no phones/pictures or note taking of the verbage was allowed.

But FSU lawyers saw the clause and included it in the lawsuit...it was the deal breaker...

Now, the ACC is asking the court to not make the ESPN contract public because it is a "trade secret"...

Posession of a copy of the signed deal was intentionally kept from entities that are subject to FOI. This is not an unusual situation. It also does not mean that at the time the principals involved weren't thoroughly kept abreast of the details of the deal.

What the attorneys are doing is hoping that there is something within the verbiage that they can build an argument from.

I seriously doubt that FSU sat around for nearly a decade before it occurred to them that perhaps they should find out what the details were to the deal.

 

[BigTenFan]

Do the colleges have private foundations running athletics? This happens in many states where the foundation (i.e. endowment wing) of public universities hides basic information.

Interesting article in today's WSJ

Breaking Down the Spending at One of America’s Priciest Public Colleges​

Auburn University piled money into buildings, administrators and athletics after years of raising costs for students; $74 million recreation center, $51 million dorm​

 

[John]

Lol don't forget the proven mixture of football schools and basketball-only's.

The on-field and on-court product was actually quite remarkable.

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

Most college presidents know nothing of how all of this works. Besides their chosen academic study, they know fundraising and do PR, that’s about it. Most don’t understand athletics, let alone the intricacies of media deals. Throw in their egos and you have it.

Agreed. Exhibit A: PAC presidents.

 

[Sea Goat]

Someone pasted the link here.

I agree that if there are no triggers, then ESPN will not need to do much, and furthermore, a school like FSU can just negotiate its rights.

However, if there is a trigger, then there's huge incentive to prevent the top schools from moving freely, and there's nothing ESPN can do at that point to break up the conference. The other schools will hold to the contract to 2036 with an iron fist.

Here's why I think this whole discussion about 2027 is moot. The grant of rights are held by the conference until 2036. They hold the rights. Nothing changes here UNLESS you believe that ESPN does not want FSU or Clemson at the current price they're paying.

The only thing that would make me think that is that the addition of SMU, Cal and Stanford has ESPN regretting this deal. In which case, the other ACC schools will have shot themselves in the foot.

FSU is locked in until 2036; it doesn't really matter what ESPN does.

I had hoped that you had read the complaints filed. It seems that you haven't.

FSU is taking a makesble shot at blowing up at least the extension beyond 2027. There are some good arguments that can be made if the allegations are provable. We'll see - in the meantime it is not a sure thing that the ACC can hold its GofR I don't care what anybody, troll or otherwise, says...

 

[dayooper]

…I seriously doubt that FSU sat around for nearly a decade before it occurred to them that perhaps they should find out what the details were to the deal.

I believe that changes in the landscape forced the look in. Before, it wasn’t worth their while. Now it is.

 

[upstater]

I had hoped that you had read the complaints filed. It seems that you haven't.

FSU is taking a makesble shot at blowing up at least the extension beyond 2027. There are some good arguments that can be made if the allegations are provable. We'll see - in the meantime it is not a sure thing that the ACC can hold its GofR I don't care what anybody, troll or otherwise, says...

I read articles.

Amazes me that you're taking the word of FSU's lawyers who are paid to do this kind of mucking around

 

[upstater]

I believe that changes in the landscape forced the look in. Before, it wasn’t worth their while. Now it is.

?? This defies belief

 

[upstater]

Posession of a copy of the signed deal was intentionally kept from entities that are subject to FOI. This is not an unusual situation. It also does not mean that at the time the principals involved weren't thoroughly kept abreast of the details of the deal.

What the attorneys are doing is hoping that there is something within the verbiage that they can build an argument from.

I seriously doubt that FSU sat around for nearly a decade before it occurred to them that perhaps they should find out what the details were to the deal.

FSU has been complaining for many years now.

They certainly knew what the deal was. Defies belief

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I believe that changes in the landscape forced the look in. Before, it wasn’t worth their while. Now it is.

So the possibility that they couldn't be bothered worrying about the details for the initial eight years of a multi-decade agreement is grounds for the agreement to be ruled invalid?

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Posession of a copy of the signed deal was intentionally kept from entities that are subject to FOI. This is not an unusual situation. It also does not mean that at the time the principals involved weren't thoroughly kept abreast of the details of the deal.

What the attorneys are doing is hoping that there is something within the verbiage that they can build an argument from.

I seriously doubt that FSU sat around for nearly a decade before it occurred to them that perhaps they should find out what the details were to the deal.

This is one of the stranger legal news stories I can remember.

 

[dayooper]

?? This defies belief

Nobody knows what FSU (or anybody else) is thinking. If you are so sure these presidents know what they are doing, think about the PAC presidents and they did. Michigans last president, Mark Schlissel has no clue about any sports stuff and almost destroyed our athletic department. Lucky he got caught sending emails with his university account to his wanna be mistress. There are some very good university leaders out there, but the majority of them don’t give a rats behind about athletics.

I think FSU knew what the majority of the GoR and media contract said, but didn’t go over it with a fine tooth comb until the Big10 signed their massive deal and they were left out of this years playoffs. That pushed them over the edge to really look at it again. Did they know about the GOR length and extension date? Who knows? FSU won’t say until they are under oath.

 

[dayooper]

So the possibility that they couldn't be bothered worrying about the details for the initial eight years of a multi-decade agreement is grounds for the agreement to be ruled invalid?

Couldn’t tell you. If the deal was done improperly, it was done improperly and the ACC is screwed. Doesn’t matter who knew when.

 

[NE Football]

FSU is not getting an invite to the B1G or the SEC after this lawsuit. It takes a supermajority to get a conference invite. NW, Indiana, Illinois, Rutgers, Maryland, Minnesota, Iowa, Purdue & MSU are all no votes for FSU. They are not going to let FSU disrupt the equal revenue sharing in the B1G or make it more difficult for them to get the CFP. The same for the bottom half of the SEC plus Florida & UGA. If FSU is successful they are probably opening the door for Miami to go to the B1G and GT. Two schools in addition to UNC & UVA that the B1G has looked at.

ESPN is making a ton of money from the ACCN and they need programming after losing the B1G. They will extend their contract with the ACC. That contract pays more per team than the Big 12. Significantly more in the last ten years of the contract.

 

[NE Football]

Couldn’t tell you. If the deal was done improperly, it was done improperly and the ACC is screwed. Doesn’t matter who knew when.

Not entirely true. It’s not as black and white as you think it is. FSU signed the contract and has received hundreds of millions of dollars. Implied consent. The commissioner also has legal authority to sign contracts on behalf of the members. If he violated internal policy it does not invalidate the contract.

 

[NE Football]

Common sense and history are in your corner. Much has happened in CR that no one had ever envisioned. Why wouldn't the scenario in the second paragraph occur, no matter what lawyers say? Common sense tells you that sooner or later BC, Syr and maybe Pitt are cooked.

Boston, New York and Pittsburgh are still good markets that the networks will want to have a team in. They are wealthy markets with high priced advertisers. Ad revenues drive a lot of network decisions.

 

[upstater]

Nobody knows what FSU (or anybody else) is thinking. If you are so sure these presidents know what they are doing, think about the PAC presidents and they did. Michigans last president, Mark Schlissel has no clue about any sports stuff and almost destroyed our athletic department. Lucky he got caught sending emails with his university account to his wanna be mistress. There are some very good university leaders out there, but the majority of them don’t give a rats behind about athletics.

I think FSU knew what the majority of the GoR and media contract said, but didn’t go over it with a fine tooth comb until the Big10 signed their massive deal and they were left out of this years playoffs. That pushed them over the edge to really look at it again. Did they know about the GOR length and extension date? Who knows? FSU won’t say until they are under oath.

I didn't say the presidents know what they are doing. In a previous post, I wrote what the Presidents do with most of their days. Athletic Depts. are maybe 5% of a school's budget, and that's about as much time as a president will devote to it. Most of their time is spent on the total budget.

But for FSU their board of trustees and their very involved donors have made these noises multiple times over many years. They've discussed breaking the GOR many times before. They've consulted lawyers before. It defies belief that they don't know precisely what is in there.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

FSU is not getting an invite to the B1G or the SEC after this lawsuit. It takes a supermajority to get a conference invite. NW, Indiana, Illinois, Rutgers, Maryland, Minnesota, Iowa, Purdue & MSU are all no votes for FSU. They are not going to let FSU disrupt the equal revenue sharing in the B1G or make it more difficult for them to get the CFP. The same for the bottom half of the SEC plus Florida & UGA. If FSU is successful they are probably opening the door for Miami to go to the B1G and GT. Two schools in addition to UNC & UVA that the B1G has looked at.

ESPN is making a ton of money from the ACCN and they need programming after losing the B1G. They will extend their contract with the ACC. That contract pays more per team than the Big 12. Significantly more in the last ten years of the contract.

BCU’s day of reckoning is coming. No program deserves it more.

 

[AllHusky]

Boston, New York and Pittsburgh are still good markets that the networks will want to have a team in. They are wealthy markets with high priced advertisers. Ad revenues drive a lot of network decisions.

Not arguing that something positive won't happen for the terrible 2 or 3(Syr BC Pitt), just that they will be left at the P2 altar to fend for themselves. Some sort of reconstituted BE, or Eastern FB league makes sense, just unclear to me how it would fit into the revenue framework of collegiate athletics

 

[Patman]

FSU is not getting an invite to the B1G or the SEC after this lawsuit. It takes a supermajority to get a conference invite. NW, Indiana, Illinois, Rutgers, Maryland, Minnesota, Iowa, Purdue & MSU are all no votes for FSU. They are not going to let FSU disrupt the equal revenue sharing in the B1G or make it more difficult for them to get the CFP. The same for the bottom half of the SEC plus Florida & UGA. If FSU is successful they are probably opening the door for Miami to go to the B1G and GT. Two schools in addition to UNC & UVA that the B1G has looked at.

ESPN is making a ton of money from the ACCN and they need programming after losing the B1G. They will extend their contract with the ACC. That contract pays more per team than the Big 12. Significantly more in the last ten years of the contract.

Given how much you've been proven right so far I believe you about all those schools and their voting intentions

 

[LoyalFanCT]

FSU is not getting an invite to the B1G or the SEC after this lawsuit. It takes a supermajority to get a conference invite. NW, Indiana, Illinois, Rutgers, Maryland, Minnesota, Iowa, Purdue & MSU are all no votes for FSU. They are not going to let FSU disrupt the equal revenue sharing in the B1G or make it more difficult for them to get the CFP. The same for the bottom half of the SEC plus Florida & UGA. If FSU is successful they are probably opening the door for Miami to go to the B1G and GT. Two schools in addition to UNC & UVA that the B1G has looked at.

ESPN is making a ton of money from the ACCN and they need programming after losing the B1G. They will extend their contract with the ACC. That contract pays more per team than the Big 12. Significantly more in the last ten years of the contract.

Exactly how do you know this? Your prediction is possible but others say FSU is heading for B10.