CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — A day after Clemson sued the Atlantic Coast Conference, the ACC filed a lawsuit against the school in a Mecklenburg County court, saying the school is breaking its agreements with the league by challenging its exit fees and contract that binds members through their media rights.
The ACC's current media rights deal with ESPN runs through 2036 and leaves the conference lagging far behind the Big Ten and Southeastern Conference in annual revenue.
Clemson's lawsuit filed in Pickens County claims the ACC's $140 million exit fee is “unconscionably high" and “unenforceable” and is prohibiting it from exploring other conference options.
The first court hearing in any of these suits is schedule for Friday in North Carolina.
Clemson and Florida State are trying to free themselves from the ACC because the schools believe the revenue gap between them and schools in the Big Ten and SEC. which they say will soon grow to between $40 million and $50 million annually, leaving them at a competitive disadvantage.