Clemson joins Florida State looking to exit ACC as latest school to file lawsuit over Grant of Rights

Clemson has filed a lawsuit against the ACC in an attempt to break the league’s Grant of Rights agreement. The suit, which was filed in Pickens County (South Carolina) court, is the second such lawsuit against the ACC, joining Florida State’s previous legal action taken against the conference. 

The school asserts that the ACC’s exorbitant exit fee and control of media rights after leaving the conference is ultimately unenforceable and prevents Clemson from doing what is right for its institution. The lawsuit frames the ACC’s exit fee as penalties and damages, which ultimately are excessive for the amount of damage caused to the ACC by Clemson leaving the conference. Additionally, it claims that Clemson’s agreement with the ACC only signs over television rights as long as Clemson remains a member of the league. 

“The ACC’s position regarding the Grant of Rights, the exit penalty and obligations owed by members to the conference, as detailed in its public statements and other court filings, leaves Clemson with no choice but to move forward with this lawsuit,” Clemson said in a statement. “Clemson has not given notice that it is exiting the ACC and remains a member of the conference.” 

In the suit, Clemson is asking a judge to ultimately void the exit fee and grant the university all of its media rights for games that take place after the university opts to exit the league. Clemson calculates the exit fee at $140 million, not counting the number to buy out the remaining decade of media rights. Even if the judgment goes through, however, it does not guarantee that Clemson would receive an invite to either the SEC or the Big Ten if it were to leave the ACC. 

“The ACC remains confident that its agreements with all its members will be…

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