Is Florida State leaving the ACC? CFB insider gives insight into the ongoing conference re-alignment rumor

Florida State appears to be the next in line to make a conference realignment move in the world of college sports. According to college football insider Greg Swaim, the university will move out of the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Rumors of a potential exit from the conference started to come out earlier this week, but it looks like it will materialize soon. However, it is still unknown what conference the Seminoles will be moving to after their exit from the ACC, but there’s been a mention of the Southeastern Conference and the Big Ten in some quarters.

Florida State President previously gave realignment indications

Florida State has been working on a potential realignment for a while and the school's top officials haven't made the plan a secret. President Richard McCollough noted that the university would be aggressive in pursuit of a realignment.

Speaking at the Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce Conference in August 2022, McCollough revealed that Florida State was active in realignment talks and was getting some help. This was in a bid to ensure the university remained competitive in college sports.

McCollough said:

"It's something I'm spending a lot of time on and we're getting a lot of help. We're trying to do anything we can to think about how we remain competitive. Florida State is expected to win. We're going to be very aggressive.”

He made this comment shortly after the Big Ten secured the largest media rights deal ever signed by a college athletic conference in 2022. The disparity in television money is no doubt a huge driver in the current waves of expansion and realignment.

Where does this leave the ACC?

Florida State's exit from the ACC will definitely leave the conference's future in danger as this will immediately give a couple of other members a pathway out of the conference.

There is a belief that the ACC would be protected due to its contract, but recent developments suggest that this might not be the case. If member schools come up with a strategic plan, they might be able to navigate potential realignment scenarios.

According to reports, seven current members are exploring a move out of the ACC. In a bid to assess the strength of the conference's current agreement, the schools have held private meetings to evaluate its level of inviolability.