Florida State calls special board meeting amid uncertain future - ESPN

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida State has called a special board of trustees meeting for Friday morning.

While no official reason was given for the meeting, sources indicated to ESPN that the board is expected to discuss its long-term athletics future.

The meeting, announced Thursday, comes nearly three weeks after the Seminoles became the first undefeated Power 5 champion left out of the College Football Playoff, a decision that angered university officials, its board and athletic department after a year spent voicing their unhappiness with the ACC for a host of reasons — including a widening revenue gap with other conferences, revenue distribution and its place in the collegiate landscape.

Any ACC school that wants to leave the conference would have to challenge the grant of rights. Florida State and all other ACC members signed a grant of rights with the league that runs through 2036, the length of its television contract with ESPN, that gives the league control over its media rights — including television revenue and home game broadcasts in all sports. In addition, any school that wants to leave the ACC would have to pay an exit fee of three times the league's operating budget, or roughly $120 million.

Nobody has ever challenged the grant of rights. ACC officials have previously described the grant of rights as «ironclad,» and firmly believe in the strength of the document. But Florida State has had its legal counsel review it, where it is housed at the league office in Charlotte, N.C.

If Florida State decides to challenge the grant of rights, it would not leave the league immediately, as the process will take some time. There also is significant risk to challenging the grant of rights. In 2022, one ACC athletic director