Reports: ACC working toward new revenue plan with Clemson, FSU

Clemson and Florida State have been in frequent communication with the Atlantic Coast Conference recently as they continue to devise a plan that would give them a larger share of the league's revenue, Yahoo Sports and ESPN reported Tuesday. The two programs believe that any revenue that schools in the conference receive should be based off brand valuation and television ratings. Simply put, the more viewers and attention a program attracts, the more money it should get. Should the ACC end up implementing a plan that caters to Clemson and Florida State's wishes, the two programs would drop lawsuits that they currently have against the conference. The Tigers and Seminoles are suing the ACC in an attempt to back out of the conference's grant of rights. With the grant of rights, which is in effect through 2036, Clemson and Florida State's media rights are attached to the conference itself. The ACC countered with a lawsuit against the Tigers and Seminoles, but there hasn't been much legal action taken between the sides. Clemson and Florida State's current talks with the ACC have been surface-level, and the two sides are still far from a settlement, per the reports. What the discussions do show is that both schools are determined to stay in the conference, as long as they receive enough financial compensation. In addition to requesting that revenue gets based off ratings, the proposal brought forward by the Tigers and Seminoles also would shorten the term for the grant of rights. ACC schools received an average of $44.8 million from the league in 2022-23, about $7 million less than Southeastern Conference schools. And with the SEC's new television deal that started this year, the difference could go north of $30 million. --Field Level Media