OT: Florida State to sue ACC over GOR

[John]

The rule 1 car wash is saying ST Johns and Nova to the ACC. And Marquette/Creighton to the Big 12

A+
Providence and Seton Hall to the SEC to lock up the Northeast

 

[jostar1]

 

[Drew]

 

[Drew]

 

[freescooter]

That's really the biggest fallacy of realignment, looking at programs in a vacuum. Pitt-WVU. Oklahoma-Okie State. UConn-cuse. There are synergies and rivalries among programs. Separate Pitt and WVU and neither program is as valuable.

Yeah...of course the North Carolina judge wants to rule and protect North Carolina...But Judge Cooper in Florida does not agree....and you know what? I'll bet the judge in South Carolina does not either.

Typically agreements have specific language on jurisdiction. And most often it is the headquarters of the league. The other courts are the ones who most likely overstepped. Seems like this might be headed to federal court.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

There is no way the ACC will voluntarily let Clemson and FSU out of the GOR, and this will be a multi-year litigation. Since the SEC doesn't want those two schools, and there is not a material financial benefit of leaving for the Big 12, all of this work is so FSU and Clemson might be able to procure an invitation from the Big 10? How much would the Big 10 realistically pay them? Does the Big 10 need 2 more schools, or would the current members be better off if FSU and Clemson simply went into permanent decline?

So why do we think this impacts UConn in the near term?

 

[JMick]

There is no way the ACC will voluntarily let Clemson and FSU out of the GOR, and this will be a multi-year litigation. Since the SEC doesn't want those two schools, and there is not a material financial benefit of leaving for the Big 12, all of this work is so FSU and Clemson might be able to procure an invitation from the Big 10? How much would the Big 10 realistically pay them? Does the Big 10 need 2 more schools, or would the current members be better off if FSU and Clemson simply went into permanent decline?

So why do we think this impacts UConn in the near term?

The ACC can't voluntarily let anyone out because it will destroy the conference. I'm sure ESPN doesn't want this to set a precedent either.

The reason it could impact us near term is that the ACC potential leftovers could want add more properties at a discount to hopefully stabilize the conference more, and the Big XII could want us off the board before this plays out to keep the ACC from further stabilizing. I'm not saying I believe that but it's a (small) possibility. Yormark seemed to enjoy destroying the PAC. He's ok with destroying the ACC too. More money to go around with fewer conferences

 

[Kolumbo]

There is no way the ACC will voluntarily let Clemson and FSU out of the GOR, and this will be a multi-year litigation. Since the SEC doesn't want those two schools, and there is not a material financial benefit of leaving for the Big 12, all of this work is so FSU and Clemson might be able to procure an invitation from the Big 10? How much would the Big 10 realistically pay them? Does the Big 10 need 2 more schools, or would the current members be better off if FSU and Clemson simply went into permanent decline?

So why do we think this impacts UConn in the near term?

I think a conference which includes rutgers should add a program like FSU if it is available no matter the financial impact. I know people will say, this program has to be worth an additional $60 million (whatever the average take is) or it's not worth it. I've always felt it would be worth it if it is better than a few programs already in the conference. Long Term. We don't know how many programs they ultimately need or want but if you have a program, the other conferences don't. And it's Florida.

This will without a doubt have a negative impact on UConn. It always does. ACC completely implodes and they scatter to the P3. ACC hangs on and backfills with USF, Tulane, Coastal Carolina, ECU, etc.

 

[billybud]

Typically agreements have specific language on jurisdiction. And most often it is the headquarters of the league. The other courts are the ones who most likely overstepped. Seems like this might be headed to federal court.

Well...if you are keeping abreast with this...the ACC agreements are fairly faulty in construction.

1...There is no language regarding jurisdiction. There is a lack of a jurisdiction clause expressly setting out which courts have the power to hear a dispute. Thus suits will continue in three states. Each party has a suit with home field advantage.

2...There is a lack of delineated definitions in the ESPN contract. Parties are lining up to argue their version of meaning.

 

[jostar1]

What’s a game? The 9-figure answer will shape FSU, Clemson, ACC lawsuits

The most important argument in the ongoing lawsuits between Florida State/Clemson and the ACC became slightly clearer this week thanks to a newly unredacted South Carolina court filing.

The answer to this dispute partially lies in the ACC-ESPN contracts — documents Clemson has had for weeks, FSU will soon receive and Florida’s Attorney General claims should be public. Because ESPN and the ACC contend those deals include trade secrets, references to them have been so heavily redacted in court filings that some arguments have been impossible to follow.

Until Thursday’s filing in Pickens County, South Carolina (where Clemson has sued the ACC).

Clemson and the ACC agreed to remove some redactions from the school’s complaint. It turns out that an entire round of conference realignment could turn on the contracts’ definition of “game.”

The ACC gave ESPN the rights to broadcast contests, “in which any Conference Institution is the home team, or which the Conference or any Conference Institution otherwise Controls the distribution rights.”

Which brings us to Clemson’s now-public argument: If the Tigers leave the ACC, they’re no longer a “Conference Institution.” They won’t be an ACC home team, and they won’t play in games where the league controls distribution rights (like a conference tournament).

Though Clemson gave its TV rights to the ACC through what’s called a grant of rights, the school contends that document only applies to rights necessary to fulfill the ACC’s ESPN agreements.

“The ESPN Agreements do not require the ACC to provide ESPN with the rights to games in which the home team is not a member of the ACC, so were Clemson not in the ACC, the Conference would not have the contractual obligations to provide ESPN with the rights to produce, distribute and sublicense Clemson’s home games,” a newly unredacted part of the suit said.

And if the conference doesn’t have the contractual obligations to give those rights to ESPN, they’d belong to Clemson. Millions of corresponding TV dollars would, too.

It’s unclear whether a judge will agree with that interpretation. Different courts could read it differently as suits play out in South Carolina, Leon County (where FSU sued the ACC) and North Carolina (where the ACC separately sued FSU and Clemson).

What’s a game? The 9-figure answer will shape FSU, Clemson, ACC lawsuits

Newly unredacted lines finally help us understand Clemson’s legal argument against the ACC.

www.tampabay.com

 

[jostar1]

 

[baggerbob]

There is no way the ACC will voluntarily let Clemson and FSU out of the GOR, and this will be a multi-year litigation. Since the SEC doesn't want those two schools, and there is not a material financial benefit of leaving for the Big 12, all of this work is so FSU and Clemson might be able to procure an invitation from the Big 10? How much would the Big 10 realistically pay them? Does the Big 10 need 2 more schools, or would the current members be better off if FSU and Clemson simply went into permanent decline?

So why do we think this impacts UConn in the near term?

The ACC network is owned by ESPN, and they made 140 million profit on it.
There is no way they are going to throw that money away.
And then pay additional money to FSU, and Clemson to leave.
That would be Stupid, and they may be the ones who caused all the problems.
But they aren't throwing away a cash cow.

 

[billybud]

The ACC network is owned by ESPN, and they made 140 million profit on it.
There is no way they are going to throw that money away.
And then pay additional money to FSU, and Clemson to leave.
That would be Stupid, and they may be the ones who caused all the problems.
But they aren't throwing away a cash cow.

The ACCN is owned by ESPN...and profits are split 50-50 with the ACC...

If you are correct about ESPN receiving a 140 million profit, that would mean that the ACC made 140 million as well...$9.3 million per school. Seems high,

Maybe total profit, including ESPN's share, is $140 million ?

 

[billybud]

Why "home court" advantage in the courts has been contentious...

Judge Bledsoe in the North Carolina suit is the Chief Business Court Judge of NC. That position is nominated by the governor and confirmed by the legislature for an 8 year term. So he essentially supervises the business court of NC which specializes iin "complex" business cases. The process of creating the NC business court is steeped in NC power politics.

FSU in the Florida court and Clemson in the South Carolina court fought to have jurisdiction because they suspect he will take the position that the ACC is a major NC business that requires his close protection.

 

[UConnJim]

The ACC network is owned by ESPN, and they made 140 million profit on it.
There is no way they are going to throw that money away.
And then pay additional money to FSU, and Clemson to leave.
That would be Stupid, and they may be the ones who caused all the problems.
But they aren't throwing away a cash cow.

The ACCN doesn't go away without FSU/Clemson. The network is part of the bundled package of channels that ESPN sells to cable companies and the only state they would lose in-market channel price would be South Carolina. LT, it would seem that conference networks are going to have to stream as the cable bundle continues to decline and will there be enough interest in the ACCN? The ACCN is at peak revenues right now as they added 2 new markets (Texas and California) and revenues will decline with cord cutting offset somewhat by pricing if they can get it. ESPN had to twist arms to get cable companies to take the ACCN and they might not be convinced to keep it when they renegotiate their contracts with ESPN.

 

[Rufus]

Ex-Tallahassee Democrat reporter implies FSU joining Big Ten could still be in play

Former Tallahassee Democrat reporter Skip Foster implied that FSU leaving the ACC to join the Big Ten is still on the table despite rumors that the Big 12 would

flywareagle.com

 

[Rufus]

ACC Realignment: Don't believe what the Big Ten & SEC are saying about Florida State

The Big Ten and SEC are not interested in expanding and adding Florida State or Clemson at this time, but we've seen this before.

fightinggobbler.com

 

[JohnFSilver]

this is all about how the ACC teams spent like the fact the ucf is gonna make more money in rights than fsu, Miami.

 

[huskymedic]

 

[jostar1]

 

[huskymedic]

ACC Media Day:

 

[huskymedic]

 

[UConnTrumbull]

Phillips' comments certainly sound like alarm bells

 

[Kolumbo]

Fluges has a good sense of humor. This is a joke, right?

 

[billybud]

When Phillips says stay and play here
In his honky-tonk lagoon
Where I can watch the waltzs for damn near free
Neath his Carolina moon
An’ I say, “Aw come on now
You must know I;m a debutante
An’ he says, “You're a debutante who just knows what you need
But I know what you want”

Oh, Mama, can this really be the end
To be stuck in the ACC
With the SEC blues again.