That can only really happen if ESPN and Fox stop fighting. There isn't enough inventory for both of them if you start kicking out schools. There is a big difference between letting Oregon State and Washington State get screwed and removing half the Big Ten and SEC because they aren't as big as OSU, Michigan, Alabama, and LSU especially since you would be cutting off massive alumni bases with every one that leaves outside of Vanderbilt and Northwestern.

_________________
You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

_________________

Notre Dame needs the ACC to fall to join another conference. They are reportedly legally barred from joining another conference until 2036 just like FSU. So, wait until FSU wins in court.

Of course ND doesn't want to move. The ACC gives them the greatest deal in college sports. Go make your own money and we will take care of all the non-revenue sports for you and the only tradeoff is playing 5 games a year in football against ACC teams.

_________________
You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

ND wouldn’t have to solicit Saudi investment to leave the ACC. It’s not at all the same.

They’re staying independent out of principle, until such time those principles change.

_________________

I didn't say it was the same. I said they were locked in until the ACC failed. That's just a fact.

_________________
You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

"Principle$"

_________________
An unjust law is no law at all--St. Augustine of Hippo

Cause tried and true
I see the light in you
Oh, can you dig in my soul?
Could you smell my whole...
life?--Gener and Deaner

I’m sorry. When you said it was just like FSU, I thought you meant it the same as FSU. Classic mixup.

Also, FSU isn’t locked in. They can buy their media rights back from the ACC. They just don’t have the money to do so.

_________________

They are legally barred from joining another conference until 2036 just like FSU. They would have to break the contract just like FSU.

The ACC owns the tv rights of FSU until 2036. They own the tv rights of Notre Dame if they join another conference until 2036 and own every non-football sport and a few contractually obligated road games in the conference.

This is like saying that the Bears aren't locked into Justin Fields next year. They just have to pay his complete salary next year to get out of it.

_________________
You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

They’re not legally barred. They can live up to the terms of the contract by paying money, but they’re a bit strapped right now. It’s why they’re trying to find outside investment.
Kind of, yes. A contractual buyout gives player & team (or school & conference) the ability to do something different that you contend is illegal.

_________________

This makes no sense. I don't mean they will go to jail if they join another conference. They are legally barred from going to another conference without paying the full value of the contract they have with the ACC. It's like how Elon Musk was legally barred from getting out of the deal with Twitter. Technically, he could have given them $44 billion and then not have taken control of Twitter.
This isn't a contractual buyout though. This is any team from the ACC paying the full value of it. It's closer to a breach of contract settlement but even that seems to be a little off as the ACC will likely require the full value unless FSU can convince 7 other conference members to dissolve the conference and FSU pays $0.

_________________
You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

Which brings us back to the initial point…

ND is not just like FSU in that they have the wherewithal to do the thing FSU would like to do, yet they choose not to do it.

_________________

Both are in the same situation. They would have to pay a massive amount of money, possibly equal to 100% of the expected revenue until 2036. FSU is looking at how to do that. ND is not currently look at how to do that.

_________________
You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

One is trying to get out of the ACC to join another conference but can’t afford their buyout.

The other is independent in football and saying they intend to remain independent.

They are not in the same situation at all.

_________________

Well, I'm not sure Notre Dame could truly afford the buyout at least in a way that made financial sense. It could be up to $500 million as it isn't a true buyout and it is literally just the money they would make from 13 more seasons of being a member of the ACC.

A lot depends on the NBC contract. They can't do much for 2 years anyways given that.

_________________
You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

Yikes. At this rate Notre Dame is going to owe a hypothetical billion dollars to make a decision they don’t want to make.

_________________

ACC payout last year: $39.4 million per school.
13 years remaining.
39.4 x 13 = $512 million.

So, that is likely the cost if FSU or Notre Dame chooses to just leave on their own and the ACC doesn't dissolve.

Notre Dame is rich but I don't know if they are that rich.

Though, I do enjoy that you think Notre Dame would be like "We want to join the Big Ten or SEC but we can't because it is too expensive".

_________________
You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

That’s not how the math works, but let’s say I doubt the ACC is willing to let FSU take everything away for $120m but would charge ND $500m for its field hockey and baseball teams leaving.

You’re also ascribing your “ND is just like FSU” take to me in that last sentence. I’m the one saying they don’t want to move; you’re the one saying it’s too expensive for them. Don’t crap me now, no, no.

_________________

FSU would be the same. $120 million is the buyout. $500 million is the GoR unless they can beat it in court or work out a settlement.

If it was $120 million alone FSU would be in the Big Ten or SEC today.

_________________
You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

Notre Dame hasn’t granted football rights to the ACC.

_________________

Notre Dame is part of the GoR. It's only relevant if they join another conference though.

_________________
You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

For non-football sports.

_________________

For some football games too. It probably would be less than $500 million since they are only obligated to 5 games a year I think. It's still a massive number.

_________________
You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

Not correct. They agree to play ACC teams. That’s not the same thing as granting media rights.

There’s no grant of football rights.

_________________

Everything I read says they are part of the GoR in some capacity. It only rally triggers if they join another conference though.

_________________
You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

For non-football sports that’s true. I don’t think non-football sports are worth half a billion.

_________________

They are required to play 5 ACC teams a year. Road games are not televised by NBC. That's a limited GoR.

_________________
You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

That’s obviously wrong.

It’s like saying the big ten has granted its rights to NBC because Ohio State will play ND on NBC this year.

_________________

Did the Big Ten mandate that OSU play that game?

The Big Ten will televise the OSU home game. OSU can't put it on ESPN.

_________________
You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

I don’t know what the first sentence has to do with GoR. ND agreed to play 5 ACC schools; it didn’t agree to play them on whatever channel carries ACC football. Many of these games will be on NBC, the network with ND’s exclusive rights.

The second is the exact same thing ACC teams deal with when playing at ND. You seem to understand granting rights but have a hard time applying it to Notre Dame football for some reason.

_________________

ND is required to play a ACC road game 2 or 3 times a year. They get roughly 10 million a year from the ACC from football. There would be a cost breaking that deal unless they came up with an agreement if they joined a new conference.

_________________
You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!