Did Clemson and FSU reach out to the SEC in pursuit of leaving ACC ahead of the 2025 season? Exploring viral conference realignment move

Clemson and Florida State rekindled their rivalry at Death Valley on Saturday in Week 4 of the 2023 college football season. The thrilling encounter ended 31-24 in favor of the Seminoles in overtime, ending their seven-year losing streak to the unranked Tigers.

The game between the two Atlantic Coast Conference powerhouses is evidently one of the most anticipated in the league and college football. However, we face the possibility of seeing this iconic matchup taking place outside the ACC in the future as realignment looms for the two.

Latest reports are suggesting the departure of the two might happen earlier than expected. According to a detailed report published by college football insider Sapakoff, a senior administrator at Clemson said that the realignment move of the university is set to happen "sooner rather than later."

It’s still unknown where Clemson and Florida State, who are expected to leave together, will land after their departure from the conference. CBS Radio on-air personality Marc Ryan earlier said that the two universities had reached out to the Southeastern Conference for a potential realignment.

Is the SEC the best option for Clemson and Florida State?

Having won 12 of the last 16 national championship titles, the SEC is undoubtedly the most competitive conference in college football. And without a doubt, it will be a great landing spot for both the Tigers and Seminoles. However, there seems to be some concern about the move.

While the SEC will be interested in adding reputable programs like Clemson and Florida State, the league is concerned about what they offer in terms of television demand. The Tigers and Seminoles notably do not bring the streaming numbers that Oklahoma and Texas do.

However, there's expected to be an interest from the Big Ten, which could create some sort of competition. Nonetheless, the two biggest conferences would benefit from having the two ACC universities in their ranks.

Have both universities found a way around the grant of rights?

Both Clemson and Florida State haven't hidden their intention to leave the ACC. In fact, the Seminoles’ officials have been vocal about moving. However, it's difficult to leave the conference due to some contractual factors.

The two universities will have to pay an exorbitant exit fee worth $120 million to leave the ACC. They also have to challenge the conference grant of rights in court. It's yet unknown whether the two universities have found a way to navigate the grant of rights.