Amid Clemson leaving ACC rumors, several schools reportedly engage in backdoor negotiations as FSU reignites conference realignment chatter

One of the bigger rumors in the college football world is Clemson leaving ACC, as they are following how the Florida State situation plays out. It is also being monitored if the grant of rights deal can be broken.

The Clemson Tigers have been one of the biggest programs in the Atlantic Coast Conference and have been among the more outspoken universities in the conference. They have been very vocal on the difference in pay between them and the other Power Five conferences.

College football insider 'MHver3' on Twitter posted a report of how Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark has been in talks with several ACC programs. The discussions are about joining the Big 12 if FSU is able to get out of the deal.

As of this writing, we do not have any details of which programs in particular have talked to Yormark. However, it is only an educated inference that with Clemson leaving ACC, and if FSU figures out a way to leave the conference, the Tigers are one of the teams on the line with the Big 12 Conference.

If Clemson leaving ACC actually happens, what other programs will also want out?

The Clemson Tigers are one of the premier universities in the Atlantic Coast Conference. However, if Florida State and Clemson leave ACC, that is only going to open the floodgates for the remaining programs seeking to leave.

The Atlantic Coast Conference has a lot of talented programs in the college football side of things. With programs like the Duke Blue Devils, North Carolina Tar Heels, Louisville Cardinals, Miami Hurricanes and more, there are going to be solid teams that are available.

As we stated earlier, the teams that have reached out to outside conferences are not known, so it is just a guessing game. However, with the path that the ACC is going, it is clear the upper level of the conference is going to want to get out for multiple reasons.

What is wrong with the Atlantic Coast Conference?

The ACC has been dealing with issues over the previous few years. With the Stanford Cardinal, SMU Mustangs and California Golden Bears joining the conference in 2024, it is attempting to stay above the minimum number of teams.

This is so because ESPN, their media rights partner, cannot open the renegotiation clause in their contract.

That means, with the reports of teams unhappy, and if the grant of rights is breakable, the ACC could cease to exist as a Power Five conference. Their media rights would decrease even further, causing the downfall.