David Hookstead
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Florida State might want out of the ACC, but the SEC doesn’t sound eager to welcome the Seminoles with open arms.
FSU made it clear during a surreal board of trustees meeting Wednesday that the program has every intention of leaving the ACC for more money elsewhere.
Florida State trustee Drew Weatherford indicated that it wasn’t a matter of *if* the Seminoles will leave the ACC. It’s only a matter of when.
The only two places to go would be the Big Ten and SEC, and it sounds like fans can scratch the latter as an option.
“I have been clear that we are focused on our growth to 16 as we transition Oklahoma and Texas into the conference. Further expansion has not been a central topic in the SEC other than regularly updating our campus leaders on national developments. We are proud of the stability the SEC provides our membership and incredibly excited about our future,” SEC commissioner Greg Sankey told Heather Dinich when asked if the SEC might make a run at FSU.
Will Florida State leave the ACC?
The ACC’s grant of rights still has more than a decade left on the contract, and leaving the conference would be incredibly expensive.
How expensive? In theory, it will be right around $120 million, according to multiple reports. However, everything in a situation like this is negotiable. Everything is negotiable. It’s important to keep that in mind.
The world of college sports is rapidly changing. It certainly feels like we’ve entered uncharted territory. Florida State trying to make a run for it is just the latest sign of that fact.
The SEC doesn’t sound like an option.
Greg Sankey certainly doesn’t seem interested at all in adding the Seminoles. Now, is he telling the truth or is this simply smoke and daggers?
Your guess is as good as mine, but there was a bombshell report Wednesday the Big Ten could be getting ready to add multiple new teams.
Would the SEC really standby and watch as the Big Ten grows? The SEC and the Big Ten are in a de-facto cold war that could go hot at any moment. It would be insane for Sankey to not pursue further expansion.
If the SEC is truly out, then FSU’s only hope is the Big Ten. The B1G certainly seems more open to expansion, as indicated by the conference exploring adding up to four new PAC-12 programs.
Having said all of that, nothing can happen until FSU figures out if it can break its ACC GoR. Until then, everything is speculation. If that does happen, it could be off to the races. As I’ve said before, this is truly an incredibly exciting time to be a college football fan. Make sure to keep checking back for more updates.
