Release from Clemson
The Clemson University Board of Trustees today authorized the university administration to settle pending lawsuits between the University and the Atlantic Coast Conference.
The settlement provides for a new exit fee schedule coupled with the clarity that Clemson sought in its lawsuit – that a member leaves with their future media rights free and clear upon the payment of the exit fee.
The new fee schedule starts at approximately the current exit fee and steps down by $18 million per year until it levels off at $75 million in the 2030-31 academic year and beyond.
The settlement also builds upon previously announced ACC success initiatives by creating a new revenue distribution pool based on football and men’s basketball viewership. The new viewership pool and enhanced success initiatives provide Clemson with the opportunity to earn an additional projected $120 million over the next six years – plus additional revenues for College Football Playoff participation.
“This settlement allows Clemson to remain nationally competitive at the highest levels and makes our conference stronger,” said Clemson University President Jim Clements. “I appreciate the efforts of the ACC members and Commissioner Jim Phillips in the creation of this innovative conference model. We remain proud members of the ACC, one of the strongest conferences in the country and one in which our students, the other 17 ACC schools, and the league are committed to accomplishing greatness both on the field and in the classroom.”
“We are incredibly thankful for all of the time and work that has gone into this proposed settlement,” said Clemson Director of Athletics Graham Neff. “We often talk about competitive excellence, and this settlement allows us to leverage our national brand to fuel that success.”
End of Release
Based on information reviewed today by the Clemson Board of Trustees, the exit fee for member schools drops to $165 million in fiscal year 2026 and will decrease by $18 million per year until bottoming out at $75 million in 2030-31, which is also the year after the current Big Ten media deal expires. Also, upon paying the exit fee, the departing school will leave with its future media rights.
Release from the ACC
The ACC, Clemson University, and Florida State University announce today that they have resolved all ongoing legal disputes.
With this resolution, Clemson and Florida State will remain full members of the ACC, and the parties will dismiss all pending lawsuits in the states of Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina.
As part of the settlement, the members of the ACC have agreed to build upon the previously announced success initiatives by creating an additional revenue distribution model that is based on viewership. The new and innovative model will continue to support the entire membership while adding a component directly focused on annual football and men’s basketball viewership. As with success initiatives, ACC member schools will have the opportunity to earn increased viewership distributions from the ACC’s media revenues and will be incentivized to take actions that enhance viewership across the ACC’s 18 member schools.
“Today’s resolution begins the next chapter of this storied league and further solidifies the ACC as a premier conference,” said ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips, Ph.D. “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. The league has competed at the highest level for more than 70 years and this new structure demonstrates the ACC embracing innovation and further incentivizing our membership based on competition and viewership results. The settlements, coupled with the ACC’s continued partnership with ESPN, allow us to focus on our collective future – including Clemson and Florida State – united in an 18-member conference demonstrating the best in intercollegiate athletics.”
“This settlement allows Clemson to remain nationally competitive at the highest levels and also makes our conference stronger,” said Clemson University President Jim Clements, Ph.D. “I appreciate the efforts of the ACC members and Commissioner Phillips in the creation of this innovative conference model. We remain proud members of the ACC, one of the strongest conferences in the country and where our students, the other 17 ACC schools, and the league are committed to accomplishing greatness both on the field and in the classroom.”
“We’re very pleased to have reached a settlement that benefits not only Florida State, but the Atlantic Coast Conference as a whole,” said Florida State University President Richard McCullough, Ph.D. “From the start, we’ve held firm to the belief that the best solution would be one that enables FSU and every ACC institution to earn enhanced revenue through performance. I want to thank Commissioner Jim Phillips and my colleagues on the ACC Board of Directors for their leadership, and we look forward to continuing our membership in the ACC.”