Veteran reporter Brett McMurphy has a pretty well sourced (albeit anonymously) story from the SEC and BIG media days that pours a good deal of water on FSU's hopes for getting into either the BIG or SEC, at least anytime soon (since the notion it would require a full-on jailbreak/implosion of the ACC seems unlikely to happen in the near term).
https://www.actionnetwork.com/ncaaf...&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=BrettMcMurphy
Not surprisingly the main reason is that the SEC and BIG don't see FSU as financially beneficial on net, but it is also interesting to see that they don't seem too happy with FSU's scorched earth approach of not only litigating against their "partners," but also doing so by seeking to expose the confidential details of the ESPN contracts and by personally attacking (member of the club) Swofford:
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Florida State likely will not have a spot in the Big Ten or SEC if it’s successful in leaving the ACC and the ACC stays intact, sources told Action Network. …
[Despite FSU wanting to go BIG or SEC], there are multiple concerns about adding Florida State, sources said. Those reasons include the fact that
it doesn’t make financial sense for either league, “there’s no appetite for more expansion” and FSU has shown “it’s not a good partner.”…
Action Network contacted more than a dozen individuals, including university presidents, conference personnel, athletic directors, network executives and consultants. …
Three SEC presidents recently told Action Network they had “no interest” in adding Florida State. It takes 12 of the 16 SEC presidents to favor adding another school.
The Big Ten also is not interested in the Seminoles, sources said. … Added another: “Why would anyone want to expedite more chaos by adding Florida State?” One source, however, cautioned “never say never” about FSU going to the Big Ten because there could be a path if the ACC disintegrates.
“There is no appetite among the presidents unless there is some catastrophic development with the ACC and it forces [the BIG] into a decision,” the source said.
“If the ACC blows up, who picks first [between the BIG and SEC]? Who picks second? If there is a need and desire to expand, you take inventory so your competitors don’t get it. But the presidents and chancellors are looking for stability. Despite what the social media geniuses are suggesting, no one — the leagues, the networks — is driving expansion.” That could change if the ACC no longer exists.
But if the price to get out of the ACC is too prohibitive that Florida State and Clemson are the only schools to exit, what happens? “
If the ACC doesn’t implode, Florida State could be in a dangerous spot,” another source said. “I don’t know if they have a home. Unless there’s a doomsday scenario and the ACC implodes, FSU is in a bad spot.”
Another source stressed the Big Ten is “happy where we’re at.” “What’s the upside of Florida State?” the source said. “We got what we needed by adding USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington — and Oregon and Washington were added at 50 cents on the dollar to help USC and UCLA.
Who would Florida State help? And at what cost? And, most importantly, who’s going to pay for it?”
If the ACC no longer exists and the floodgates open, allowing a mass exodus from the ACC, North Carolina and Virginia would be highly sought after by the SEC and Big Ten, sources said.
Several sources added they weren’t convinced they could “trust” Florida State as a new member. “Look what they did: getting the attorney general involved, accusing [former ACC commissioner] John Swofford of rigging the television rights to help his son, filing a suit to expose ESPN’s TV deals — something the other three power leagues are against, by the way,” the source said. “They’re not a good partner. There’s no congeniality. No one wants that."
“It’s not about FSU getting out of the ACC’s Grant of Rights. They’re not a fit.”
Added another Big Ten source: “There are too many negatives; they’ve proven to be a disruptive partner. Even if you got them in a similar discounted rate as the Oregon and Washington deal, do you trust them as a partner?”…
“Never say never,” a Big Ten source said. “But the current sentiment is no for Florida State.”