The Atlantic Coast Conference on Friday asked a Florida judge to pause a lawsuit filed by the state of Florida, which claims the conference is violating its contract, until a similar case in North Carolina is concluded.
The ACC and Florida State sued each other in late December to resolve a dispute over what the university would have to pay if it opts to leave the conference. Lawyers for the Seminoles estimate that the school would have to pay $527 million to withdraw from the league and regain control of its media rights, breaking a contract that will not expire until 2036. They argued that those fees are “draconian” and ” unreasonable restrictions on commerce in the state of Florida.”
The two sides are fighting to determine which state court should rule on their dispute. The ACC wants the case to take place in North Carolina, where its headquarters are located. The state of Florida wants the case to be heard on its own territory by a circuit court judge in Tallahassee.
ACC's Friday filing argues that its licensing agreement is governed by North Carolina law and that its North Carolina-based lawsuit should take priority because it was filed first, a day before the state of Florida will present its claim to the Florida court.
“[T]The parties became substantially involved first in the North Carolina countryside. …And so it should be,” ACC attorneys wrote in their motion Friday. “The state of Florida decided to join ACC, an unincorporated North Carolina nonprofit association, and specifically voted in favor of the contracts that he is now contesting. , all of which are governed by North Carolina law.”
If the judge does not grant a stay in the Florida case, the ACC also filed a motion to dismiss the case for various reasons. The conference says Florida State has not specified which contract the ACC is allegedly breaching. He also argued that the state of Florida cannot ask a judge to make a decision before the school takes any action to leave the conference.
Lawyers for the state of Florida requested a similar stay or dismissal from a North Carolina judge a week ago. The North Carolina court is scheduled to hold a hearing on the motion to dismiss on March 22.
If neither judge grants a stay, both lawsuits could continue on parallel paths. That scenario could create a race to ruling in which the first court to reach a ruling would effectively end the other case.
The ACC's long-term television contract is significantly less lucrative than more recent deals signed by competitors in the Big Ten and SEC conferences, leaving many of its highest-profile athletic departments with concerns about competing on a national level.
Florida State, which has been in the ACC since 1991, has been exploring legal options to leave the conference since at least last summer. The Seminoles were also among a group of ACC schools that explored options for separating from the league in early 2023. They decided to take legal action in December, shortly after the school's undefeated football team was left out of four-year college football. teams this season. Play off.
