ACC and ESPN: A New Game Plan

A fresh chapter has unfolded in the story of college sports with the ACC's TV deal with ESPN now realigned for decade. Cleansing the television rights of the ACC from a possible legal tug of war is ESPN's latest move extending its contract with Atlantic Coast Conference until 2036. With the 2016 deal expiring in 2027, the $300 Million new contract sees the two collaborating bring a resolution to existing disagreements with Clemson and Florida State. Lounging at a comfortable position an onlooker would scratch their head and wonder why it took so long to extend the deal. The news has left many scratching their heads thinking ESPN would wait for the final hours. Suddenly ESPN, with a surprise move opened up a new playing field with new possibilities. If that was not enough an olive branch was extended to the once troubled duos Clemson and Florida State. The new revenue deal is just what the doctor ordered for their legal tussles. The first rays of sunshine on Clemson and Florida State began to shine through once Jim Phillips, ACC's commissioner, rode up to the doorstep with a trophy. He donned a hat of a cupid bringing future matchups between ACC and other programs in the bag. This includes Notre Dame football and basketball. The proposed revenue deal allies itself by rewarding its most profitable schools. The brand fund is a new kid on the block. Generating high revenues for the conference gets schools a luxurious seat in the ACC table. Clemson, Florida, Miami, and North Carolina schools are the top four members of the Brand Fund Pyramid. The ACC has been a topic of conversation for a while now. Florida, Miami, and Clemson have been steadily be ahead of the rest of the ACC pack. The Big Ten and SEC have been a thorn in ACC'S side, where the ACC hasn't been in the reckoning of top conferences. The ACC has something more exciting now. ESPN's contract extension until 2036 and the revenue sharing model are certainly big steps onto the right track. It is a return to a happy marriage between ACC and ESPN. The pair have bigger plans for the future, and could be the beginning of a new era for college sports. ESPN's return the ACC's keys is a strategic move, likewise having a media rights deal with ACC Network. This move will cement the ACC to the college sports scene for the next decade. The proposed revenue sharing model has been designed to create financial stability. The Brand Fund could be a game-changer to the conference. The new deal is just another stepping stone towards a bright future for the ACC. Right now the ACC schools have been yearning for the SEC and Big Ten richnessbut ESPN's move might just be the good news they were waiting for. Words like "incentivize" and "erase the financial gap" are good to hear. So the ACC and ESPN are in a new game plan. There's a lot of work ahead for future negotiations and tweaks.