Big Ten Betting Favorite To Add Florida State If Program Departs From The ACC
Conference realignment talk across the country has heated back up with the 2023 season just a couple of weeks away. Florida State fired off a warning shot at the ACC earlier this week behind strong statements from the university president and Board of Trustees.
"I think this continues to be a very difficult issue, there's a lot going in the world of conference realignment with the PAC deal imminent and lots of things are going on," President Richard McCullough said on Wednesday. "I would have to say that my current assessment of the situation after very deep analysis is that I believe FSU, at some point, will have to very seriously consider leaving the ACC unless there was a radical change to the revenue distribution."
It's become very clear that the Seminoles are seriously exploring their future and feel they will be forced to switch conferences. The rising media rights gap between the Big Ten and SEC compared to other conferences around the country is expected to reach $390 million or more over the next 13 years.
That's essentially a death sentence for any program outside of the pair of megaconferences that wants to remain a legitimate contender on the national stage. With rumors continuing to fly at a quicker pace, it's almost become an expectation that FSU will leave the ACC.
According to Bookie.com's Dan Kilbridge, the Big Ten is the betting favorite to add the Seminoles if they decide to switch conferences with -130 odds (56.5% chance). The SEC isn't very far behind at +110 odds (47.6% chance). What's kind of crazy is that the program holds +1000 odds (9.1% chance) to remain in the ACC or join a different conference outside of the Big Ten or SEC.
Both conferences can offer different advantages for Florida State. Obviously, the SEC is a more regional and premier brand where the Seminoles would match up with teams such as Alabama, Tennessee, Ole Miss, and others on a regular basis.
The Big Ten would benefit the university outside of just athletics as the schools that make up the conference are known for their academic prestige. 15 of the 16 members of the Big Ten are in the AAU which is focused on education and research funding.
Florida State has until August 15 to notify the ACC of its intention to depart from the ACC if the program wants to join a new conference for the 2024 season.
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