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The legal battle between Florida State and the Atlantic Coast Conference is fast taking a new shape. The conference heightened the intensity of the case almost two weeks ago after it submitted an amended complaint to the North Carolina Superior Court.
Nonetheless, the Seminoles responded with a counteraction on Monday evening. The university filed a 59-page amended complaint for declaratory judgment, which is much longer than the original, 21-page complaint it submitted in December to kickstart the case.
In the latest complaint, the university specifically targeted former ACC Commissioner John Swofford, accusing him of engaging in actions that were allegedly self-serving and cost member schools substantial financial losses. He becomes the latest individual to be involved.
FSU's allegation against John Swofford
In the new filing submitted to Leon County Court on Monday, FSU alleges that John Swofford acted in the best interest of his son, Chad Swofford, for many years over the needs of the conference while serving as ACC commissioner.
It is mentioned that Chad Swofford served as the director of business development at Raycom Sports in 2008. During that time, the Southeastern Conference sold all of its media rights to ESPN, leading to Raycom being excluded from the deal for the first time in over two decades.
While Raycom fired 20 employees after the development, a newly employed Chad Swofford was spared. The Seminoles alleged that Chad’s employment safety was because the company was now generating 80% of its media outfit's revenue from the ACC, which is led by his father.
Subsequently, when the ACC's media rights were up for bid on the open market in 2010, John Swofford allegedly communicated to ESPN and Fox that Raycom needed to be involved in the package. This action cost member schools a lot of money according to the university.
The Seminoles are seeking an easier exit route
FSU embarked on the move to leave the ACC following the conclusion of the 2023 college football season. The Seminoles have harbored leaving the conference for a couple of years, and it is believed that the College Football Playoff exclusion in December eventually triggered taking action.
However, the university is seeking a much easier path out of the conference, instead of incurring exit fees and penalties worth over $500 million. This has resulted in a legal dispute between the Seminoles and the ACC with a lengthy legal battle expected between the two parties.
Considering the nature of the grants of rights, leaving the ACC was never going to be easy. Nonetheless, FSU won't give without a try.
