FSU leaving ACC gets big upvote from board of trustees meeting as legal battle kickstarts new wave of conference realignment

The Florida State Seminoles could be leaving the Atlantic Coast Conference very shortly.

Earlier this year, FSU spoke about potentially leaving the ACC as the school was unhappy with the conference and the revenue sharing.

On Friday, FSU called a special board of trustees meeting this morning. According to reports, FSU's athletic future in the ACC will be discussed during the emergency meeting.

During the meeting, the board voted unanimously to challenge the ACC’s Grant of Rights agreement.

“Today we’ve reached a crossroad in our relationship with the ACC,” FSU Board of Trustees chair Peter Collins said. “I believe this board has been left no choice but to challenge the legitimacy of the ACC grant of rights and its severe withdrawal penalties”

During the meeting, FSU outside council David Ashburn provided points as to what the Seminoles will argue to get out of the ACC without paying anything, those being:

• The ACC’s exit fees and Grant of Rights penalty violate Florida antitrust law
• The GOR presents an unenforceable penalty
• Breach of contract
• Breach of fiduciary duty
• Violation of Public Policy
• Fundamental failure of contractual purpose

Additionally, FSU revealed that ACC is not guaranteed any television revenue after 2027. ESPN has a unilateral right to extend the ACC’s media deal after 2027 but hasn’t exercised that option yet.

ESPN's Pete Thamel also reported that Florida State will likely partner with Sixth Street Partners to help fund the ACC exit.

Currently, the ACC has yet to comment on FSU voting to challenge the ACC’s Grant of Rights agreement.

FSU leaving ACC has become a new chatter in college football world

Earlier this year, FSU President Richard McCullough said the school would look to leave the ACC unless the conference made changes to the revenue sharing.

"Our goal would be to continue to stay in the ACC, but staying in the ACC under the current situation is hard for us to figure out how we remain competitive unless there were a major change in the revenue distribution within the conference," McCullough said. "That has not happened. Those discussions are ongoing at all times.

McCullough also said he wasn't optimistic that FSU would be able to stay with the ACC in this current climate.

"At some point, we're going to have to do something," McCullough said. "I'm not that optimistic that we'll be able to stay. I just don't know that. It could occur, but something radically different is going to have to happen. All options remain on the table."

If FSU does leave the ACC, where the school will go is uncertain.