They went to war and came back with a map. For some time, Clemson and Florida State looked like rebels plotting their break from the ACC’s iron grip. Lawsuits surfaced, and media rights were questioned. The Tigers’ suit centered on clarifying language about the school’s control over its broadcast rights. The Seminoles rested on the grant of rights. And the threat of bolting became more than just noise. But a quiet came before the drama shifted off the courtroom stage to a ticking clock because the ACC has rewritten its exit script. 

The long-awaited settlement between Clemson, FSU, and the ACC is finally public. At 68 pages long, the document resets the terms of engagement. On July 3, Clemson insider Jon Blau made an X post featuring “the section in Clemson’s settlement with the ACC that outlines exit procedures.” In the caption, he added, “New deadline to give a notice of an intent to withdrawal from the conference is June 1. The deadline used to be Aug. 15.” So this means that it’s officially too late for these two schools to leave in time for the 2026 season. But the 2027 clock is ticking. 

Clemson’s updated settlement includes a detailed exit procedure. And here’s the cash math linked with the exit fees. ACC schools would have to pay $165 million to leave in 2025-26 for the 2027 season. Then the number drops to $147 million for 2028, $129 million for 2029, $111 million for 2030, and $93 million for 2031. And for the FY 2030-31, the exit fee drops to $75 million, which is quite cheap compared to what the ACC demanded before the lawsuit settlement. 

These figures are a massive drop from the half-billion-dollar apocalypse ACC schools faced before this deal. The original exit fee was $150 million plus the school’s broadcast rights, a double whammy that seemed to have padlocked the exits. But not anymore. Particularly for Clemson and FSU, who spent a few million in legal fees to flip the term. There’s more. The settlement introduced a revamped revenue-sharing model where 60% of media rights money now flows through a viewership pool. The split is 75% football and 25% men’s basketball. So, essentially, the better you rate, the more you make, which brings us to the next section.

A two-tier ACC and a power shift in motion

Clemson AD Graham Neff estimates this change alone could earn the Tigers an extra $20 million annually. That’s not a bad cushion to wait out that declining exit fee. Clemson and FSU now have veto power over any policy changes involving exit fees and revenue distribution. David McKenzie, an IP and First Amendment lawyer who reviewed the settlement, called the deal “one-sided” in favor of Clemson. He even described it as creating a “two-tier membership structure,” with Clemson wielding more influence than its peers.

And if any other ACC school dares to sue the conference, they forfeit their cut from the viewership pool and the “success” initiative, which now lets schools like Clemson keep all postseason bonus money. Same for Florida State. FSU trustee Drew Weatherford summed it up, saying, “The good news is that things have drastically changed since we had that conversation – for our benefit – and there’s been a lot of work done… So I just want Seminole Nation to know that the future is bright.”

The realignment clock has officially been reset. Clemson and FSU aren’t bolting just yet, but the runway is laid out and everyone in the ACC knows the takeoff window starts June 1, every year.