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I am going to answer a hypothetical question:
What's going to be the end game with these lawsuits?
My take:
FSU will lose the GOR argument. There is simply no room for the Noles to win. Maybe it was a bad deal, but it was the deal they wanted at the time. I think the GOR will survive.
FSU may actually get some play with the exit penalty. The penalty is not based on actual damage suffered by FSU''s withdrawal from the conference and is worded like a penalty. Courts don't like penalty clauses in contracts. And, especially if they are really large penalties that essentially erect a wall. If the Noles leave this will likely be a reduced amount.
Bottom line:
I think FSU stays in the ACC because no other conference will accept them without FSU's media rights. A possible exception: The B1G (or SEC) might invite the Noles and buy FSU's rights on an annual basis through 2036 using FSU's share of the the B1G media deal. So essentially, the Noles would be in the B1G with a similar deal as SMU has with the ACC. Of course, there would have to be some kind of negotiated exit penalty that FSU could afford. The advantage to FSU would be that after the current B1G media deal ends they might get a full share of the next one. But, I think they will stay in the conference.
What's going to be the end game with these lawsuits?
My take:
FSU will lose the GOR argument. There is simply no room for the Noles to win. Maybe it was a bad deal, but it was the deal they wanted at the time. I think the GOR will survive.
FSU may actually get some play with the exit penalty. The penalty is not based on actual damage suffered by FSU''s withdrawal from the conference and is worded like a penalty. Courts don't like penalty clauses in contracts. And, especially if they are really large penalties that essentially erect a wall. If the Noles leave this will likely be a reduced amount.
Bottom line:
I think FSU stays in the ACC because no other conference will accept them without FSU's media rights. A possible exception: The B1G (or SEC) might invite the Noles and buy FSU's rights on an annual basis through 2036 using FSU's share of the the B1G media deal. So essentially, the Noles would be in the B1G with a similar deal as SMU has with the ACC. Of course, there would have to be some kind of negotiated exit penalty that FSU could afford. The advantage to FSU would be that after the current B1G media deal ends they might get a full share of the next one. But, I think they will stay in the conference.