If Florida State manages to leave the ACC, and the ACC remains intact, they are unlikely to secure a spot in either the SEC or the Big Ten – according to a report from Brett McMurphy of Action Network.
The Seminoles have been looking to break free from the ACC and join either the SEC or the Big Ten to increase their revenue with much bigger media rights deals, but neither conference has expressed clear interest in the program.
Multiple reasons were provided, including a simple lack of interest in expansion and concern that FSU has shown “its not a good partner.”
Greg Sankey, the SEC commissioner, was asked if he’s following the ongoing legal battle between FSU, Clemson and the ACC, and he responded saying, “we’re focused on our 16. Period. I’m not going to guess about what happens next. We can certainly remain at 16 for a long, long time and be incredibly successful.”
This story changes if the ACC implodes and the floodgates open, with Florida State, Clemson, North Carolina, Virginia, and Duke becoming highly sought after entities. But, unless that goes down, Florida State’s best option for realignment appears to be the Big 12.
Neither FSU or Clemson are reportedly that interested in the Big 12, and recently commissioner Brett Yormark said his league is focusing on integrating the eight new schools from the past two years, but if these two programs are desperate to leave the ACC this might be the last resort.