Can FSU leave the ACC in 2026 after the latest settlement agreement? Conference realignment moves explored

FSU has harbored the ambition to leave the ACC over the years, and its officials have been vocal about it publicly. The school is not happy with the revenue distribution model of the conference as it places them at a competitive disadvantage at the pinnacle of the landscape.

In December 2023, the Florida State Seminoles filed a lawsuit against the ACC in a bid to exit the conference seamlessly. The aim was to find a way to navigate the conference's airtight grant of rights. The school finally found a breakthrough on Tuesday after it reached an agreement with the league.

Can FSU leave the ACC in 2026?

After reaching a settlement with the ACC on Tuesday, FSU can decide to leave the conference as early as 2026. However, this would cost the school a sum of $165 million in exit fees, according to the new agreement, with the school retaining its media rights upon departure.

The settlement saw a significant reduction in the cost of exit as it was earlier speculated by Florida State's attorney that it would cost around $700 million. Leaving gets easier for the Seminoles after 2026 as the exit fee decreases by $18 million every year until it reaches $75 million in 2031.

By reaching the agreement, the conference can now have a stable future in the collegiate athletics landscape. It has avoided the Pac-12 fate it was on the brink of.

"Today's resolution begins the next chapter of this storied league and further solidifies the ACC as a premier conference," ACC Commissioner Phillips said in a statement.

"As we look ahead to our collective long-term future, I want to express my deepest appreciation to the ACC Board of Directors for its ongoing leadership, patience and dedication throughout this process.”

Is there a chance of FSU staying in the ACC

The settlement reached with the ACC also includes a new revenue distribution model. It will see a system focused on the team's viewership data take effect in 2026. This offers some chance of the Seminoles staying in the league as it places them at a massive advantage.

"We started this path on what was best for not only FSU but for the conference and this really incentivizes everyone in our conference to have the opportunity to go out and choose a path," FSU athletic director Michael Alford said following the settlement.

"That's all we ever asked for; was for the opportunity for us to compete nationally amongst our peers, and it's also going to make the league better."

The Seminoles have led the conference viewership record in college football in the last couple of seasons, and they stand to benefit most from the new system. The university athletic director proposed a model like that a few years ago but didn’t get enough support in the league.