CFB insider claims ACC expansion adding Cal, Stanford and SMU against FSU vote triggered Seminoles' plan to leave the conference

FSU is expected to proceed in the push to leave the Atlantic Coast Conference this offseason. The Seminoles on Thursday summoned an emergency Board of Trustees meeting, scheduled to take place on Friday, where it is expected that the university’s future will be discussed.

The unfair exclusion of Florida State from the College Football Playoffs is believed to have intensified the need to leave the ACC. However, college football insider Ross Dellenger reports that the expansion of the conference against FSU's wishes has also triggered the move.

The ACC added Stanford, Cal and SMU just before the commencement of the 2023 college football season. While the three universities were able to eventually get the needed votes for admission, the trio of Florida State, Clemson and North Carolina voted against the move.

The ACC's expansion only exacerbated the existing divisions within the conference. However, the league pursued expansion as a strategy to safeguard its long-term existence and television contract, especially in light of the possible departures of several member programs.

It's worth noting that ESPN reportedly has the right to renegotiate the terms of the long-term contract with the ACC if its membership falls below 15. Therefore, the move to expand was a game plan to avoid getting a decreased television revenue from the network in the near future.

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FSU to commence exit process soon

FSU is expected to kick-start the process of making its way out of the ACC after a long period of being vocal about the plan. The conference affiliation of the Seminoles will undoubtedly be the focal point of a scheduled meeting on Friday for the FSU Board of Trustees.

As many college football analysts have opined, the outcome of the Friday meeting may lead to a formal legal filing by the university. This is considered by many within the landscape as the initial step toward navigating an exit from the ACC's binding grant-of-rights agreement.

While specific details regarding the legal step the university officials plan to take remain unclear, legal experts suggest that the school could pursue a "declaratory judgment action." This legal maneuver aims to seek a judge's ruling asserting that the school is not obligated to adhere to its contract with the ACC.

Notably, the grant of rights agreement between ACC and ESPN runs until 2036, which pretty much makes the legal scenario a difficult one to navigate. Nonetheless, the college football world is waiting to see how Florida State will execute its plans for an exit.