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Clemson, Florida State Push ACC to Set Nine-Figure Price Tag on Early Exit Fee

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Matt De Lima | Last updated Mar 3, 2025 3:26 PM ET

On Monday, the University of Clemson and Florida State University got what they wanted from the Atlantic Coast Conference.

The two universities will soon settle lawsuits against the ACC. Once that is done, a final dollar figure will be set for a school to pay to leave the ACC and withdraw from the media deals associated with the conference.

According to On3's Andy Staples, the exit fee will be set at $200 million on Tuesday once the lawsuits are settled.

After the 2029-2030 season, which is when the Big Ten's media rights deal expires, the exit fee will drop "well below" $100 million. It's believed the Big Ten will seek to expand beyond its current 18 teams at that time.

NEW: A source tells @Andy_Staples a school could pay $200M to leave the ACC once the settlement goes through Tuesday.

That figure falls to “well below” $100M should a school wish to exit the league after the 2029-2030 school year.

Story: https://t.co/QJjfCkVBXu pic.twitter.com/P1GlXBbn69
— On3 (@On3sports) March 3, 2025

In addition to the Tigers and Seminoles, North Carolina and Miami are also rumored to have a possible interest in exiting the ACC.

The SEC's media deal doesn't end until 2034.

Last March, Clemson filed a lawsuit against the ACC for its "exorbitant" exit fees. In December 2023, Florida State filed suit.

At the time, ACC commissioner Jim Phillips released a statement about the conference's fee structure.

"Clemson, along with all ACC members, voluntarily signed and re-signed the 2013 and 2016 Grant of Rights, which is binding through 2036," the statement read. "In addition, Clemson agreed to the process and procedures for withdrawal. The Conference's legal counsel will vigorously enforce the agreement and bylaws in the best interests of the ACC's current and incoming members."

Per a report about the Clemson lawsuit, ESPN's Pete Thamel reported ACC teams were making $13 million annually in their media deal, roughly $8 million less than Big Ten and SEC teams.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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