Florida State AD says Seminoles are ‘very thrilled’ to be in ACC amid revenue talks

Florida State athletic director Michael Alford says the Seminoles are “thrilled” to be in the ACC, want to remain in the ACC, and are confident the conference is moving toward a revenue-sharing model that can keep FSU competitive moving forward.

Talks have come to the forefront in recent days after SI’s Ross Dellenger reported earlier this week that a group of 7 ACC schools

including Florida State and Clemson have been working together for months behind the scenes trying to determine if the ACC’s ironclad grant of rights agreement the extends out to 2036 is as ironclad as it’s believed to be.

When Alford spoke with FSU’s Board of Trustees in February, he said the Seminoles “can not compete nationally being $30 million behind every year.”

Alford doubled down last week when he told Warchant’s 

Ira Schoffel that the prospect of UCF — which is moving to the Big 12 — being in a better financial situation from a TV revenue standpoint is “just not acceptable to us” when, in Alford’s view, FSU is one of the primary drivers of value in the ACC.

Short of ditching the ACC for another league and playing sports for free for the next 12 years, Florida State has to find a solution that it deems acceptable. And that likely means working with the ACC.

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On Tuesday, one ACC athletic director (who chose to speak anonymously) told ESPN’s David Hale that they are “very close” on an updated revenue model that would reward on-field success.

Alford then later told reporters that multiple models are being discussed among school leaders, including one that could see specific members earn up to $10 million in additional merit-based annual revenue.

“We’re thrilled to be in this league,” Alford said, “and want to stay here.”

He also said that speculation about the possible breakup of the ACC is “overblown” and that school leaders throughout the league are “together” and coming up with solutions.