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The ACC settled but still could be splitting up.
The lawsuits by Florida State and Clemson against the ACC ended in a whimper when all the parties agreed to what has been a fair proposal for years. The most popular and successful schools get more money.
Duh!
The Duke and Wake Forest football programs earning the same split as Clemson and FSU has been ridiculous for decades. They were right to litigate to get out of the conference but found they had nowhere to go and saved an estimated $700 million in legal fees.
Now their TV viewership will figure into 60 percent of the ACC’s revenue to be divided by schools with the highest ratings. The other 40 percent will be split evenly among the 17 ACC football schools.
But any schools leaving before the grant of media rights expires in 2036 will find their exit fee reduced from $165 million to about $75 million by 2031. So, in short, the most desired ACC members can still entertain offers from other conferences while making more money to stay.
That is all wise because who really knows what will happen to college athletes once the House vs. NCAA settlement is approved this spring. If the Big Ten and SEC eventually expand into an NFL-like Super Conference, several ACC schools including Carolina will certainly explore that.
If the ACC stands pat and the have-nots try to keep pace with the “haves,” realignment could alter the conference with smaller schools taking the place of those that do depart. Everyone is still free to make its own deal.
I have always believed that the Duke-UNC basketball rivalry may eventually move to the Big Ten, which wants to have a presence in the Tar Heel State. With college basketball becoming so postseason-centric, the home-and-home rivalry between the blue bloods remains the most valuable property of the regular season.
Whether remaining in the ACC or moving to the Big Ten, the Blue Devils and Tar Heels can bring along the highest-rated home-and-home series in college basketball, year after year.
They would both be a perfect fit in the academic-driven Big Ten, whose hoops teams are a close second to SEC. Say UNC and Duke moved to the Big Ten and bid their two games out to all the TV networks. ESPN has had the franchise because the ACC is their conference.
But wouldn’t CBS, FOX or ABC and NBC want to own that series that draws more viewers than any other regular-season games. Notre Dame, which is in the ACC for all sports BUT football, does the same thing with NBC for their home gridiron games and has kept all of the money.
How much might a network pay for the Tobacco Road rivalry, which would bring millions more into the fold? UNC and Duke might get the lion’s share of that contract, but it would still make the Big Ten bigger.
Featured image via Associated Press/Karl B. DeBlaker
Art Chansky is a veteran journalist who has written ten books, including best-sellers “Game Changers,” “Blue Bloods,” and “The Dean’s List.” He has contributed to WCHL for decades, having made his first appearance as a student in 1971. His “Sports Notebook” commentary airs daily on the 97.9 The Hill WCHL and his “Art’s Angle” opinion column runs weekly on Chapelboro.
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Art Chansky is a veteran journalist who has written ten books, including best-sellers “Game Changers,” “Blue Bloods,” and “The Dean’s List.” He has contributed to WCHL for decades, having made his first appearance as a student in 1971. His “Sports Notebook” commentary airs daily on the 97.9 The Hill WCHL and his “Art’s Angle” opinion column runs weekly on Chapelboro.
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