This shows a fundamental lack of understanding of the market or contract dynamics. That's not boilerplate - it's a fundamental negotiated term of the agreement. The SEC didn't need the same sort of lock-in as the ACC because when you are on the top of the financial pyramid, there's little or no risk of parties exiting. The ACC members, however, recognized that they were at risk of getting picked off one-by-one with the remaining parties potentially getting screwed. Further, it wasn't even apparent which players would be chosen. At that time accumulating set top boxes on a state by state basis was the goal and conferences were essentially contiguous. Few anticipated the rate of decline of linear TV or the emergence of nationwide conferences. So it was not at all obvious that FSU and Clemson, the schools that now have the highest opinion of themselves, would be the prime targets because they were distant from the Big 10 and Big 12 while being potentially redundant for the SEC due to UF and the eastern USC. So the schools decided as a group, including FSU and Clemson, that the best path was to sign the GOR. Now some think they can do better and want out. It's that simple.
Fundamental lack of understanding of the GOR/ESPN contract and ACC By Laws/Constitution you have....
The GOR is a fairly simple piece...but it does not stand alone...it speaks of "rights" being granted only for the ACC to meet their contract obligations with ESPN....
Now, with those obligations kept a secret by the conference, two schools have asked the courts to declare just what does this binding agreement entail ?
And...if what many of us think has happened, there has been misrepresentation of those obligations by the conference.
Why...why do you think that the conference has been keeping everything secret ? Already it has come out they have lied to the membership. It would not have been known without FSU insisting they needed more than.."this is the way it is because we tell you it is".
Now, you are right about the motivation...FSU and Clemson believe there has been an inept conference administration and that they could do better in another conference...They see the ACC administration as driving the same bus towards the boat launch that the PAC 12 did.
The ACC's heart beats in Tobacco Road. They all play each other while it is FSU that travels to Syracuse and Boston....And..Although Wake Forest is in FSU's division (no Duke or UNC), they have played 10 games combined against North Carolina and Duke in the last five seasons (to FSU's 4).
The court filings are simple...they ask the court to pierce the secret veil and define just what are the contracted obligations of the conference members...neither Clemson nor FSU has resigned from the conference. But they will if the court finds that the contract obligations have been kept secret because they have been misrepresented and the schools may pay the Exit Fee (per the By Laws) and that the ACC may meet their ESPN contract obligations.
I would not be at all surprised if ESPN did not meet their obligation to announce an extension of their ACC contract by 2021 (extend option was from 2027 to 2036) because they have no intention to extend).
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