Is FSU's conference realignment on the charts for SEC expansion? Report paints different reality

The Florida State Seminoles (FSU) have been unhappy with the Atlantic Coast Conference as of late and things are going to be interesting as the proceedings seem that these two parties could split from each other. If FSU is able to break the grant of rights deal, which is reported to cost an estimated $572 million, one of the ideas is that Florida State can join the loaded Southeastern Conference.

However, a new report suggests that this will not be happening as the SEC is expected to reject the Florida State Seminoles' request to join the conference.

This is something that will be interesting to follow as a lot of different scenarios could now be in play. FSU still needs to find a way to get out of the grant of rights deal if they want to leave the Atlantic Coast Conference and that seemingly is easier said than done.

What would FSU leaving the ACC mean for the rest of the conference?

FSU is one of the more intriguing programs right now as they could be the final breaking point of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The conference as a whole seems to be in a shaky place and it seemingly is known by a lot of insiders.

The media rights for the ACC seem to be one of the biggest issues as they are in the midst of a contract with ESPN until the conclusion of the 2036 season. That means their payouts are going to be constant and not have much room for expanding from the $39.4 million expected for 2023.

However, if Florida State can break the grant of rights deal and pay the exit fee to join a different conference, that will likely open up the floodgates. There were rumors of multiple programs, including the Clemson Tigers, wanting to explore their options in terms of a news conference during the last college football offseason.

The big issue for the Atlantic Coast Conference is the clause in their media rights contract. If the conference falls below 15 members at any point during the duration of the contract, ESPN (the media rights partner) can renegotiate the contract. That is widely believed to be the reason why the ACC is adding the Stanford Cardinal, SMU Mustangs and California Golden Bears.

In short, if FSU finds a way to leave the conference, the ACC can look a lot like how the Pac-12 Conference is right now.