CFB insider makes case for Big Ten expansion amid rumors of ACC fallout as ESPN publicly supports Atlantic Coast against Clemson lawsuit

Following the lawsuit filed by Clemson on Tuesday, the Clemson Tigers became the second team to kickstart a legal battle against the Atlantic Coast Conference, joining Florida State who did the same in December.

Clemson and Florida State have harbored the intention to leave the ACC over the years and have both decided to take action on it this offseason. However, departing the league doesn't come so easy due to the hefty exit fee and the conference’s watertight grant of rights.

Nonetheless, the Tigers and the Seminoles are in court in a bid to avoid both the league's exit fee and the grant of rights agreement. Should they become successful in their attempt, college football insider Jim Williams believes Big Ten is an option for the two universities.

The Big Ten would love to have Clemson and Florida State

The Big Ten has been open to expansion in the last few years. The conference ratified the addition of USC and UCLA in 2022 and subsequently added Washington and Oregon last year. As it stands, it seems the league is open to further expansio.

Should the opportunity of adding Clemson and Florida State eventually present itself, the Big Ten will undoubtedly be ready to take it. The conference will be open to expand its market to the home of both the Seminoles and the Tigers respectively.

The Southeastern Conference is also an option for Florida State and Clemson if they can move out of the ACC. The two universities command the biggest market in the league and have a lot to offer to its next destination in college sports.

ESPN wants the ACC to remain as a whole

ESPN, which owns the media rights of the ACC, wants the conference to remain as a whole and won't support any team in its exit plans. The network has joined the league in its legal battle with Florida State and will do the same for Clemson’s case.

A move to the Big Ten will see the Tigers and the Seminoles fall into the hands of Fox, CBS and NBC, something ESPN will try to avoid. The ACC is ESPN’s biggest market after the SEC and the two universities play a huge role in the value of the league.