$600m ACC media deal with ESPN could virtually aid Atlantic's collapse as teams joining the Big Ten and SEC expansion open gateway for more profit

The ACC media deal might be under threat next year in the midst of uncertainty facing the conference. The long-term television contract with ESPN is scheduled to expire in 2036. However, there's a good chance that the annual $600 million could come to an end far earlier.

College football insider Greg Swaim reckons a potential decision to cancel the ACC media deal by ESPN could virtually put an end to the conference on the landscape of collegiate athletics. That would see the league follow in the footsteps of the Pac-12 onto the brink of collapse.

The move will likely come as a huge benefit for ESPN, according to Swaim. The network is bound to see top teams in the conference move to the Southeastern Conference and the Big 12, where it owns the media rights, leaving them only having to pay the teams that are economically viable.

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Does ESPN have the right to cancel the ACC media deal?

ESPN has the right to cancel the ACC media deal if the conference fails to meet clauses in the contract. The network has the right to renegotiate the deal if the ACC membership falls below 15, an avenue where it can opt for a cancellation.

With Florida State pushing to level the ACC via legal means, there could be a pathway for more teams out of the conference. That could see the league drop below 15 members, as many teams are seemingly contempating taking the exit door.

The ACC added Stanford, Cal and SMU last summer in a bid to mitigate a potential fall in membership. However, that might not be enough to save the conference, considering the number of members interested in their way out of the league.

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Can the ACC survive if ESPN pulls out?

Should ESPN decide to cancel the ACC media deal, the conference will likely face a future like that of the Pac-12. A new media deal with a different network will offer less money and could trigger many members to make their way out of the conference.

We are almost certain to see an increased membership in the SEC, Big Ten and Big 12 if the ACC media deal gets canceled by ESPN next year. Nonetheless, the few remaining teams in the league could work toward survival by attempting a rebuild, just as in the case of the Pac-12.