Are Florida State and Clemson going to the Big 12? CFB insider details conference realignment in 2024

The Florida State Seminoles and the Clemson Tigers have both vented their frustration with the Atlantic Coast Conference. Both schools have openly said they are looking at ways to leave the conference.

However, with the ACC having a lengthy media rights deal, both schools are locked in pending the result of the lawsuit. If the lawsuits go Florida State and Clemson's way, CFB insider Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports said there are early conversations for FSU and Clemson to join the Big 12.

“There is at least early conversation between the Big 12 and those schools about the possibility,” Dellenger told Kurtz (via HeartlandCollege). “I don’t know that it’s anything serious yet because they do have to get out of the ACC, whether that’s through a settlement or a court ruling. So, we could be months, or even years away from something, but that does seem to be one of the possibilities, is the Big 12.”

Although Dellenger says FSU and Clemson have had early discussions about joining the Big 12, the insider claims both schools would prefer to join the SEC or Big Ten.

“When you look at Florida State and Clemson’s options, the first option would probably be to get into the Big Ten or the SEC,” Dellenger said. “The second option would be to reform the ACC with a smaller number of teams where you would have a financial advantage because you wouldn’t split the TV distribution with 18, you would just split it with 10.

“Option 3 is to join another league, which obviously there’s only one other power league, and that’s the Big 12.”

Regardless of which conference FSU and Clemson join, it's clear that both schools are hoping to leave the ACC soon.

Big 12 would have to come up with financial compensation for FSU and Clemson

If the Big 12 can land both FSU and Clemson from the ACC, Dellenger believes the conference will need to offer them a new compensation package.

FSU and Clemson are both frustrated with the lack of compensation they are getting from the ACC, so Dellenger believes the Big 12 would need to get into private equity to get the schools the money they want.

“You’d have to not only help them get out, you’d have to pay them in distribution in an amount that is at least close to what the Big Ten and SEC are paying their schools,” Dellenger continued. “The Big 12 gets mid-$30M, or just call it $40M a year per school in distribution. In the SEC and Big Ten, they’re at more like $70M, which that number will go up. If you do use private equity or whatever other financial means to get a Florida State or a Clemson — are the Big 12 administrators OK with an unequal revenue distribution?

“Would they be OK with paying Florida State and Clemson $10-20M more a year? And that’s a question I don’t know the answer to, except to say that would probably be hard to convince them to do that. But, if it means adding blue-blood football powers that you need, maybe there’s a shot.”

FSU and Clemson remain in the ACC for the time being.