Clemson leaving ACC gets new direction as judge denies motion to dismiss case in South Carolina

The Clemson Tigers are closely following their case against the Atlantic Coast Conference, as the possibility of the Tigers leaving the ACC continues to be a major talking point. However, reports now say that South Carolina Judge Perry H. Gravely denied the ACC's motion to dismiss the case.

ACC attorney James Cooney claimed that the conference gets "no substitutions revenue" from doing business in South Carolina. This comes after the North Carolina courts denied the school's motion to dismiss the case in Charlotte, N.C. on July 2nd.

Judge Gravely stated that Clemson has proven jurisdiction and ruled sovereign immunity in favor of the ACC. Sovereign immunity is defined as the fact that the government cannot be sued without its consent, per Cornell Law School.

However, this ruling should be viewed as a victory for the Tigers as the dominos continue to fall in the Clemson vs. Atlantic Coast Conference lawsuit.

What is the Clemson vs. ACC lawsuit about?

The lawsuit is regarding the Grant of Rights Agreement that the teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference are under. As a result of this agreement, schools that are currently members of the ACC are not able to leave the conference without paying an exit fee of $572 million.

The Tigers are not alone in this legal battle, as the Florida State Seminoles have also filed a lawsuit against the ACC regarding the same Grant of Rights Agreement.

What does this ruling mean for the Tigers?

The possibility of the Tigers leaving the ACC is still being discussed, with much debate about the university's situation. There have been no changes in their future plans. Lawsuits in North Carolina and South Carolina are ongoing, and the ball will continue to roll.

Unless the courts rule in favor of the Tigers in these lawsuits, the team will remain a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference. If the courts rule in their favor, it is seemingly obvious that they will explore conference realignment.