Florida State University

Florida State and Clemson are both searching for an affordable way out of the ACC, challenging what they consider to be exorbitant exit fees and a contract that binds member schools to each other and the conference through media rights.

Atlantic Coast Conference commissioner Jim Phillips called lawsuits filed by the schools “extremely damaging, disruptive and harmful” to the league.

The agreement comes days before a scheduled July 22 court hearing in Leon County.

Florida State University urged an appeals court to reject a request by the Atlantic Coast Conference to at least temporarily put on hold a lawsuit that could lead to the school leaving the conference.

Much of Tuesday’s day-long arguments focused on whether the lawsuit could be decided in Florida, as FSU challenges what it describes as more than $500 million in penalties as it seeks to exit the North Carolina-based conference.

The Atlantic Coast Conference has asked an appeals court to put on hold a lawsuit filed by FSU against the conference while a similar case plays out in North Carolina.

The filing was a response to Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody’s complaint last month. Moody accused the ACC of breaking Florida’s public records law by not providing a copy of the league’s TV contracts.

The penalties are the result of a rule-breaking incident that happened in April 2022. An assistant coach drove a prospective student-athlete to a meeting with a booster, which is considered impermissible contact.

Florida State is challenging the conference’s exit fees and the validity of a grant-of-rights agreement that binds league members together through their media rights.

The filing comes just days after Moody asked other state attorneys general for legal support.

Florida’s Attorney General is turning to her peers in other states for support as Florida State University takes on the Atlantic Coast Athletic Conference in a legal battle over media deals and when and how the school can leave the conference.

FSU is pushing to exit the ACC and explore a more lucrative landing spot, potentially the Big Ten.