Clemson Pockets ACC’s $45 Million But Financial Fight Far From Over

The ACC distributed a record $45 million per school during the 2023-24 academic year, according to financial documents reported by ESPN’s David Hale, marking the highest per-member payout in conference history. For Clemson, however, the celebration is muted by a much bigger question: is it finally enough?

The Tigers, one of the ACC’s premier programs, filed a high-profile lawsuit against the conference in February over the league’s grant of rights agreement—a legal battle rooted in growing financial frustration as revenue gaps between the ACC and its peers, the SEC and Big Ten, widened. 

Clemson wasn’t alone; Florida State launched its own legal challenge just months earlier.

While the ACC remains firmly in third place behind its Power Two counterparts, this year’s record-breaking $711 million haul marks a 56% increase over the past five years. That kind of growth offers hope, but not certainty.

“We’ve positioned ourselves for stability,” ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips said during this week’s spring meetings. “The chaos and constant wondering of what’s happening here or there, that distracts from the business at hand.”

But for Clemson, “business at hand” has always meant contending for championships—and being paid like it. The new revenue-sharing model, which rewards schools based on TV ratings and postseason success, was heavily influenced by Clemson and FSU’s demands. 

While it wasn’t reflected in this latest round of tax filings, it could significantly shift the landscape moving forward.