North Carolina athletic director Bubba Cunningham wasn’t happy about the rhetoric coming out of Tallahassee over the ACC’s media rights deal.
Less than 24 hours after Florida State Richard McCullough and its board of trustees indicated a departure from the ACC could be in the school’s future, Cunningham fired back during a radio interview.
The basis of FSU’s displeasure stems from what it feels is a disparity in how it has been paid out compared to schools in the Big Ten and SEC from their TV deals.
The North Carolina AD defended the ACC and told 99.9 The Fan in Raleigh that FSU’s “barking” wasn’t good for the conference.
“If they want to leave then that’s going to be their choice, but there’s certain obligations they do have,” Cunningham said, according to Yahoo Sports.
“We have an exit fee and we have a grant of rights. I believe the ACC is a great league. It’s been a great league for a long time.
“Their frustration about the money — everybody would like to have more money and everybody would like to win more. But we’re in an outstanding league and last I checked, the ACC won nine national championships last year, more than any other league in the country.
“So we’re doing something right.”
McCullough told the university’s board of trustees during a meeting on Wednesday that FSU would “very seriously” consider leaving the ACC if the revenue distribution didn’t “radically change.”
Trustee Justin Roth equated remaining in the ACC to “death by 1,000 cuts” due to the money they’d be missing out on.
Any departure from the conference would take some maneuvering due to the exit fee and the grant of rights deal every school in the conference signed.
But Cunningham wanted to see Florida State at least remain a “good member” while they figure out what their next move is.
“Now what they want to do and how they want to go about doing their business, that is their business but it does have an impact on us,” Cunningham said during the radio interview.
“And quite frankly, I don’t think it’s good for our league for them to be out there barking like that.
“And I’d rather see them be a good member of the league and support the league and if they have to make a decision, then so be it. Pay for the exit fee, wait for your grant of rights that you’ve given and then in 2036 when those rights return to you, do whatever you want.”
All eyes will be on Florida State as it navigates what comes next for the university’s long-term future in the ACC or elsewhere.
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