The saga surrounding the Florida State football team, the rest of the school’s athletic programs, and their request to leave the Atlantic Coast Conference remains fluid. In December, FSU filed a lawsuit against the ACC, their conference of play since 1992, intending to leave without paying a nine-figure exit fee. The Seminoles believed the contract binding the conference and the university was unenforceable. Additionally, the suit filed by FSU claimed the ACC was careless in helping schools adapt to the era of player compensation through name, image, and likeness (NIL).
On Thursday, the attorney general of the state of Florida, Ashley Moody, officially joined the legal battle after the Atlantic Coast Conference “illegally” withheld media contracts between them and ESPN. The “grant of rights” documents in question, which were not provided to Mooney after she requested them in January, allow the ACC to sell the media rights of their participating schools. The conference remains steadfast in that the media rights contract that runs through 2036 with ESPN is why Florida State would need to pay more than $500 million in exit fees.
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody: Takes Aim at ACC
Ashley Moody, the attorney general of Florida, officially has the Atlantic Coast Conference in her crosshairs. Clemson, alongside Florida State, filed suit against the conference within the last year in an attempt to leave the ACC without monetary penalty. However, the ACC quickly filed a countersuit against the schools. Now, after being noncompliant with Moody, the conference has to deal with the attorney general of Florida.
NEW: On Thursday, Florida's AG filed a lawsuit against the ACC alleging that it has illegally kept media contracts under lock and key, violating public records laws. With the lawsuit, @AGAshleyMoody is supporting FSU in its quest to depart the ACC early.https://t.co/vSTJTfpyZt
— Amanda Christovich (@achristovichh) April 25, 2024
In a statement, Mooney said, “The ACC is asking a state entity—Florida State University—to potentially pay and lose more than a half a billion dollars but is refusing to produce the documents related to that outrageous price tag.”
Unlike Florida State football, the rest of their program, and the Clemson Tigers, Mooney does not directly call the “grant of rights” media deal unenforceable. Instead, Mooney believes the contracts are subject to Florida public record laws.
“We sent a public records request to the ACC in January, but they failed to fully comply. We are taking legal action against the ACC for wrongfully withholding these important public records,” Mooney stated.
The Atlantic Coast Conference prohibits school personnel from making or keeping a copy of the media rights agreement. Instead, any member of an ACC university must voyage to the conference’s headquarters in Charlotte to read the arrangement in person. ESPN could also release a statement regarding the ongoing legal battle between FSU, Clemson, and the ACC. ESPN initially filed a brief in the conference countersuit against FSU, believing publicizing the documents would compromise trade secrets.
Florida State Football: Fresh Off Unprecedented Season
The 2023-24 Florida State football team remains one of the most polarizing in recent memory. The Seminoles started the season 10-0, with wins over LSU, Clemson, Duke, and Virginia Tech. However, in a mid-November clash against North Alabama, quarterback Jordan Travis suffered a gruesome season-ending leg injury. Backup Tate Rodemaker led Florida State football to the win and another victory over Florida in the regular season finale but sustained a head injury, putting him on the shelf for the next few weeks.
Third-stringer and freshman Brock Glenn led the Seminoles in the conference championship against the Louisville Cardinals, an eventual FSU win. Despite going undefeated and winning their conference, the Florida State Seminoles became the first team in the College Football Playoff era to miss out on the four-team postseason field while accomplishing those feats. FSU filed suit against the Atlantic Coast Conference shortly after.
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