Yes, let's look at things objectively:
1. You have members of a conference (the ACC) that have openly said their conference media contract is untenable to compete with their national "peers":
2. You have what is arguably the ACC's biggest brand openly saying they want out because they can't compete with the money the ACC can afford to pay out. They won't get out any time soon, but the tea leaves are telling everyone as soon as they find a way out they're gone. This is from FSU's school president, NOT some AD tossing media bombs. At this point it's saber rattling from FSU, but as the GOR end date gets closer, it's pretty much a promise...especially for the ACC schools that are targets for other conferences.
3. You have the two biggest conferences (SEC and B1G) in open expansion to secure their position as the kings of college sports. One conference (the B1G) has well known national aspirations. What's the only region they're not in at the moment? The Southeast. Which conference has multiple "like minded" schools in a region the B1G has made it known they want to be in? The ACC. Which conference has teams (UVE, UNC) that are well known to have been past targets of the SEC? The ACC. Which conference has members openly complaining about distributions because they can't compete with teams from the B1G and SEC? The ACC. Which conference has no chance to increase member distributions to compete with the two largest conferences? The ACC.
This isn't emotional "whining and moaning"...it's reading the tea leaves and understanding the reality on the horizon once the GOR ends for the ACC.
I would go further to say that anyone who doesn't see the end of the ACC coming is irrationally burying their head in the sand and ignoring all the signs that the ACC is not going survive in its current state once the GOR ends (or a member finds a legal way out). Will the ACC live on after the GOR ends? Yes, but in name only...certainly not as the ACC we know today.
1. The schools "reported" to have met. Not openly speaking out, only FSU has been public. And even if they are saying that the current situation is not good, is that a desire to leave or to squeeze more out of ESPN? I even saw one report that am FSU insider said the public FSU fits have been to try to squeeze more out of ESPN. (Not that I put much faith in one report). I didn't see the "magnificent seven" making public statements, it was all "reporting". Even among those reported seven, not all of them would have a landing spot if the conference was ended, so it doesn't make a lot of sense.
2. FSU being the biggest brand is certainly arguable. They have the second most revenue. I think they are too caught up in proximity belief. If you get outside of the Southeast, they are not a highly regarded brand. It is definitely saber rattling. They have had one good season in the last several years, and believe they are the same as the 90s teams again.
3. The Big10 and SEC are getting better media money for the next 6-7 years. The Big12 is getting smaller media money for the next few years. We don't know what will happen in 7 years. The money in the ACC might increase, or the current contract might not look too bad if ESPN isn't pushing negotiations higher for the other conferences.
Like I said earlier, seven years ago all the pundants said that the ACC was the weakest of the P5 and would be the next to fall. Currently the ACC is third in media money and third in football. It will be hard to get to a level higher than either the Big10 or SEC, but still higher than the Big12.
I don't know what the situation will be in seven years, but reading the tea leaves seven years ago, the ACC should be extinct already. That didn't happen yet. The current furvor is just hysteria. GT should do everything possible to be prepared for all kinds of contingencies. Giving into our believing in the hysteria will usually cause you too fail, even if the worst part of the hysterical fear doesn't come to pass.
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