Locked On ACC - Daily College Football & Basketball Podcast - Could Utah Leave The Big 12 To Join The ACC? New Report On ACC Expansion | ACC Revenue Hits Record

Episode Date: May 27, 2024

Could the ACC actually expand with a new member in the near future? New reports from Dick Weiss of the New York Daily News have linked the Utah Utes to the ACC. Utah is about to join the Big 12 but reportedly could be enticed by the ACC’s ESPN network affiliation. Other rumored candidates for the conference are USF, San Diego State and Oregon State. The ACC just had a record revenue increase this past season, but the gap is still wide behind the SEC and Big Ten. Hosts Alex Donno and Kenton Gibbs discuss possible expansion candidates and analyze a report showing that former conference commissioner John Swofford, who retired two years ago, is STILL making almost as much money from the ACC as current president Jim Phillips. Congratulations to the Duke Blue Devils, who beat Florida State 16-4 to claim the ACC Baseball championship.Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!GametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONCOLLEGE for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply.FanDuelFanDuel, America’s Number One Sportsbook. Right now, NEW customers get ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in BONUS BETS with any winning GUARANTEED That’s A HUNDRED AND FIFTY BUCKS – with any winning FIVE DOLLAR BET! Visit FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON to get started. eBay MotorsFrom brakes to exhaust kits and beyond, eBay Motors has over 122 million parts to keep your ride-or-die alive. With all the parts you need at the prices you want, it’s easy to bring home that big win. Keep your ride-or-die alive at EbayMotors.com. Eligible items only. Exclusions apply. eBay Guaranteed Fit only available to US customers.FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Depending on who you get your college football news from, the ACC is either collapsing or expanding. You are locked on ACC, your daily podcast on the Atlantic Coast Conference. Part of the Locked on Podcast Network, your team every day. I didn't have this on my bingo card. The Utah Uts are now being linked to the Atlantic Coast Conference. We are locked on ACC. Thank you so much to the everydayers for making this your first listen and your first watch each and every day. We're available free wherever you get your podcast. We're free on YouTube.

We're part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. He's Kenton Gibbs from Lockedon Wolfpack. I am Alex Dono from Locked on Cain's. And we want to send out a sincere thank you on this Memorial Day to the veterans who sacrificed their lives for this country and for our freedom. You know, my grandfather served in World War II. And thankfully for me and for my entire family, he was able to survive and get through that. Otherwise, I would not be here. And I certainly, Kent, and want to appreciate today the sacrifice made by so many to protect this great country of ours.

Absolutely. And when you think about Memorial Day, many people see this as the opening of grill season and the opening of throwing something on the grill, getting you some ribs, getting you some, you know, depending on what region in the country you're from. But don't forget that this date is about those who've made the ultimate sacrifice, right? You know, it's about that and don't lose sight of that. in that, but let's talk some sports. Yes, and we will talk on this episode about Duke,

defeating Florida State 16 to 4 for an ACC baseball championship. A lot of people think the ACC powers that be are kind of happy that Florida State lost. We will talk about the former ACC commissioner, the guy that put us in this mess that we're in right now. He's still making a ton of money from the conference, despite being retired for a couple of years. But let's talk about Utah, Kenton. So this report came by a good reporter, by the way.

This is not just some blogger throwing darts at a wall. Dick Weiss is a New York Daily News columnist and a member of the National Sports Writers Hall of Fame. I don't feel like they put people in that Hall of Fame when you make a living out of just making stuff up. So there's got to be something behind this. And Dick Weiss wrote on his ex account, speculation is circulating about potential shifts in college sports conferences. There is discussion about Utah, possibly.

possibly moving to the ACC, despite its recent move to the Big 12, with some suggesting the ACC might be a better fit due to its ESPN network agreement and potential for increased TV revenue. However, skepticism exists regarding the stability and attractiveness of the ACC compared to the Big 12. I guess the big question that I have is, like, is the ink, like, not dry yet? Because I guess Utah has not technically been in the Big 12. So maybe if the paperwork hasn't, you know, been faxed over, like can they get out of that?

Because I would figure once they're officially in the Big 12, they also have a grant of rights, Kenton. But at the same time, you probably heard the same rumblings that I have for the past few months that apparently there's some buyer's remorse from Utah on joining the Big 12 and that that's not really somewhere that they feel comfortable. Although a lot of us assume they'd try to get into, you know, maybe the Big 10. But maybe Utah does make their way over to the ACC. Well, us in the ACC country, you know, we're familiar with the phrase. It's all about the youths. Apparently, that's a thing now. But in all seriousness, you know, Drake Toll was over there on Locked-on Big 12,

sniping our teams, sitting up here looking over at the ACC. Hey, Bit, come on down, you know. You continue partying with your Savannah bananas, brother, because we're just fine here at the ACC. You worry about yourself, because it seems to me, that there's some trouble in paradise, Donald. And here's something that you and I've talked about off-air and nauseam that seems to get lost in all of this shuffle of who's leaving,

who's staying, whatever the case may be. The ACC is on pace to make more than the Big 12. Yeah. No. And a lot of people don't realize this because, yes, the ACC PR is terrible right now. We've covered on the show. But a lot of people just assume that members of the Big 12 are making a higher revenue cut than members of the ACC.

That is not the case. The ACC is third, a distant third behind the SEC in Big Ten. But the ACC is third. The Big 12 is fourth. So ACC members actually do make more revenue than Big 12 members. Absolutely. And that's the thing that is so confusing to me as to where this perception is coming from. I understand that the Big 12's heavy hitters aren't leaving. But then that begs the question, who are your heavy hitters? Oh, but hold on. The Big 12's heavy hitters literally did just leave. That's what I'm saying. I'm confused as to why it's like, hey, you're worse than us because your heavy hitters are leaving and our heavy hitters already left. What?

Oh, ha ha, ha, your grass is turning brown. We've had gravel for grass over here for years. Ha, ha, ha. Yeah. I don't understand it. But I will say this, the speculation around Utah is so interesting because it does then leave that wonder in there of what's the language for that contract look like. Because we've talked a lot about how the granted rights has you locked in and how there are teams in court right now for, hey, we're not sure what's going to happen and we're not sure what the settlement is going to be if there's going to be a settlement. If they're going to have to pay the half billion or wait, we're not sure.

But if Utah ends up in a similar situation, that is just a whirlwind of trouble going from one conference to a new conference to where you're already trying to leave that conference before ever having competed in any varsity sport there. It seems to me that Mr. Toll may need to keep his eyes on the prize. It seems to me that the Big 12 commissioner, you know, you eyeballing teams in the ACC so hard, you know, it's like that guy that's always commenting on everybody else's relationship whole time. His old lady is terribly unhappy. Hmm.

Hmm. What's going on here? And Utah, Utah is a big fish in the Big 12, probably the biggest fish. They're predicted to win their football championship. next year. They've won two Pack 12 championships within the past three years. So that

would be a nice get for the ACC. Here's some more on Utah and even a couple of other schools thrown out there. This is a report from Luke Fletcher from the Rambling Roundup. And this is also relevant to what's going on right now. The ESPN and the ACC are having their

look-in provision where they're kind of examining the whole landscape of their TV deal with the ACC. And most people just assume only negative stuff is going to come out of the look-in, but maybe there's some positive stuff coming out of it. From this report from Luke Fletcher said, update on the ACC-E-SPN look-in, being told that future pro-Rata of expansion candidates will be directly tied to the increase in the TV value

that they bring to the ESPN-owned ACC network. And then he tags Oregon State, Utah, San Diego State, and USF. Now, out of those four, I don't know if the ACC would potentially try to add more than one. But out of those four, I strongly feel Utah is the strongest brand there right now. Absolutely. USF is an up-and-coming brand, but they're not at that level right now. You know, Oregon State, obviously they've had some good relevant years in athletics,

but they're underwater right now. They're in their athletic department is in the red. They're operating at a deficit right now. So obviously they would, the ACC could be very attractive for them, not currently a member of any conference. And then the other one that they mentioned is San Diego State, which is like it's not quite L.A. I mean, you could get more Southern California eyes on you. It's not, you know, the same thing as adding Los Angeles.

But out of those four, Utah would be the prize. Oh, absolutely. Utah is the prettiest girl at the ball by mouth. There's not a doubt about it. I mean, the other brands, they have very niche things that relate them to the ACC, but it's not quite the same. Like USF, obviously, the Florida connection is there with Miami being one of the southernmost parts of Florida. And of course, you've got Florida State and Tallahassee and all that good stuff. USF in Tampa is, you know, in that, or the Tampa area, rather, is in that type of deal.

And their quarterback, oddly enough, is a Raleigh native. So, like, you have niche tie-ins to the ACC, but you don't have a ton of San Diego State, very similar thing, right? You don't have a ton of direct, like, hey, this is your connection to the ACC. this is why this directly makes sense. However, for all of the teams that aren't the prettiest growing ball, Oregon State, they would love to come. If they got the invite, I'm sure they'd be jumping for joy like the young man Charlie when he found the golden ticket, you know, like the granddad who was bedridden for all those years.

And then once he found out that they were going to the factory, oh, it's time to shake out of the road, baby. You know, so it's, I'm sure Oregon State went with some of the things that they have going on financially. Utah, if they're not happy, with the Big 12 and if the contract does not, you know, if they faxed over the contract, if it doesn't start to that date and leaves them the flexibility to avoid it before, I'll tell you what, that could be a big deal. USF and San Diego State, they're both in smaller conferences where they're, they're de facto not going to be able to compete with the Power 5 just by the baked-in

discrepancies in their budgets and then what they're getting in their TV deals or whatnot. So three of those teams make a ton of sense and they would love to come on their end. But the question is if the division of the pie is based on what you bring to the ACC, how many make sense for the ACC to bring in? And I think at the moment, the only tool that I can see is feasible is USF and Utah. Now, maybe San Diego State has a big enough market. I haven't looked enough in the San Diego State to adequately say whether or not they could bring that draw. but I think that USF and Utah make a ton of sense, possibly San Diego State.

Oregon State is the one I wouldn't touch with a 10-foot pole. Right, yeah, for reasons that people may not realize with all that revenue stuff going on. Well, it turns out the ACC had a record revenue year last year and the biggest jump in the conference's history, but that there are certain things that are on their expense list that make me open my eyes a little bit. We got to talk about the money that Swofford is still making, inexplicably. And yeah, folks, we will congratulate the Duke Blue Devils for winning an ACC championship in baseball. You want to keep it locked right here. We're only getting started on this brand new episode of Locked on ACC.

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With all the parts you need at the prices you want, it's easy to make your car the MVP and bring home huge wins. Keep your ride or die alive at eBaymotors.com. Eligible items only, exclusions apply, eBay guaranteed fit, only available to U.S. customers. Thank you so much for making this episode of Lockdown ACC, your first listen and your first watch today. Lockdown has launched the first ever national sports 24-7 streaming channel on YouTube, and now it's available on Amazon Fire TV and the free Fire TV channels app. Locked on Sports Today is here for you 24-7 covering the top sports stories of the day with the local experts of Lockdown, plus our national shows covering every league.

Find Lockdown Sports Today now available on the free Fire TV. channels app. Alex Dono from Lockdown Keynes, Kenton Gibbs from Lockdown Wolfpack with you. So Kenton, pretty relatively speaking, still very much behind the SEC and the Big Ten, but a record revenue year for the ACC, they generated 706.6 million in gross revenue, distributing an average of 44.8 million to its 14 football playing members. They are still behind with their 706 million. They're behind the Big Ten at 880 million, SEC at 852 million, and that gap is going to grow larger in the coming years with those TV deals and the Big Ten and the SEC.

But the ACC revenue rose 14.5% from last year. That's the biggest jump in conference history. Now, a big part of that was something that really should have happened like two, three years ago. I think it was last year when ACC Network finally agreed with Comcast. which is, you know, I think the biggest carrier in the United States, if I'm not mistaken. They hadn't been on Comcast for the first two years. They did finally make the jump to Comcast last year.

The revenue just skyrocketed up this past year. But it was a healthy financial year for the ACC. What a shock, Donald. What a shock. I'm so confused. You know, Donno, I was told that the ACC makes no money and that ESPN was trying to dump us off, even though they have these soccer leagues that are overseas that like 12 people domestically watch.

I'm one of them, by the way. Oh, it's you and 10 other people with gambling habits and one other guy who does it for the love of soccer. You're a hybrid between those two groups, Donald. Don't worry. So it's so fascinating to me because, again, facts are facts, regardless of how we feel, regardless of what perception is, facts are facts.

And it's a clear fact. that the ACC is seeing growth. The ACC is trending up and to the right, as they like to say in startup world and all that. It basically means you're moving either towards profitability or you're creating more profitability than it was before, which is what the ACC is doing. That's what the ACC is doing here.

And I don't know why there is any argument against the idea that, hey, the ACC is doing good things. They're moving in the right direction, even with these two lawsuits. Again, ESPN has no incentive to say, hey, we're going to give up a league that is, I wouldn't say they're a cash cow for ESPN, but more or less they kind of are because it's like, we're winning this deal by a mile. You all have the short end of the stick.

So I don't get the idea behind, hey, they leave. They be leaving sometime soon. But, you know, and by they be leaving, I mean the ESPN, ESPN abandoning the ACC. I don't get where that's coming from, but there were a few interesting things to come out in the line item budget that the ACC are paying out of that 14% increase. So let's take a look at that. So this was last year,

the league spent more than $7.2 million on legal services. This was pointed out by Brian Murphy from WRAL. So 7.2. That number, I'm sure, is going to skyrocket this year because you got two, well, I was going to say two active law, but really five. Four or five. Yeah. That's true. Yeah, because you got to clue the attorney general from the state of Florida. So you're involved in five lawsuits. So I'm sure that number is going to go up. But then the other thing was, this is crazy. So John Swofford, the former commissioner of the ACC, who, you know, he cut that sweetheart deal with his son over at Raycom, which is one of the reasons why the ACC is in the situation that they're in right now. Even though he's retired, he still made. more than $2.5 million last year.

And that's just behind the current commissioner, Jim Phillips, who made a little more than $2.6 million. So I don't know, I don't know. What kind of a golden parachute is this, did he write that like in his own deal? Did he write that into the grant of rights before he left? Like, what happened there? The immorality of dirty footclogers never ceases to amaze me.

The irony of this is what's hilarious. because, you know, a lot like I talked about how the story that came out that said, North Carolina is so deeply, the state of North Carolina, not the university, is so intrinsically tied into the ACC that they cannot separate. The state university separating from the ACC would be foolish. It's so funny to see that the guy who has us in this mess, by and large, in Swofford, is still collecting more money than many people listening to this right now's entire family. ever touch. Yeah. Because is he doing anything for the conference to earn that? No.

Many people say that in fact the conference was done a disservice by his services as the commissioner. And yet he gets a $2.5 million golden parachute. Boy, I'll tell you, I'd love to fail forward like that. I'd love to fail forward like that. If I fell forward like that in any aspect of life, I would have started off with a Mazda 6 that was so old. It was the first model after they stopped calling it to 626. all you got to do is crash a couple cars

and you're going to get a Bugatti. I would love to be in a situation where it's like, oh man, I'm failing out of my communication classes. All I got to do is fail a couple more classes. I'm going to have a PhD in neuroscience. That is what we're looking at here with Jim Phillips. I'm sorry, with Swofford being able to collect this much money when he's retired.

How is this even legal? The ACC should have six lawsuits on their hands because somebody should be going and saying, Hey, hey, John, John, get some of that money back player. Get some of that money back. You know you don't need all that. Give it back. Come on.

Give it here. Claw back time because you know, you know good and damn well you ain't earned that money. Bring it on back. I thought that was wild. And kudos to Brian Murphy for pointing that out how much money swoffered is still making. This was, these comments were made by Dennis Dodd, who's an excellent college football reporter. He was on a Notre Dame. podcast inside ND sports.

And he was talking pretty matter-of-factly about aspects within college football realignment, mostly from an SEC perspective. But he mentioned, quote, SEC is done for now. He mentioned by done, he means an expansion. He says, he is done for now, done expanding. If the SEC does anything, it will be Notre Dame or UNC is what I'm told. But then he also said, quote, the ACC is not in danger of breaking up right now. That's what he said.

So by right now does he mean right now, but then June 30th, they're in danger of breaking up? Because again, Kenton, we had those doomsday reports that by June 30 at the conference will completely collapse and cease to exist. Dennis Dodd doesn't seem to share that sentiment. I've got my cigars and my robe ready. I've got my cigars and my robe ready. And Donald and I don't screenshot comments often, but there's a first time for everything. There's a first time for everything. So stick around for July 1st, folks,

because we may be firing up some Stogies on July 1st to celebrate me and Dono not being two idiots, as everybody told us. Not being, what were we, Dono? Was it Arizona State fans? Is that what they called us? You all saw like Arizona State fans last year. Hmm, interesting how that works out.

So don't worry, don't worry. Donno and I got the cigar clips as well. We got them ready. We got them ready. We're not going to celebrate our first. We just have it ready. We got to prepare just in case. We turn out to know a little something about what we're talking about.

Who knows? Well, when we come back, what was the ACC? Were they openly rooting against Florida State in the baseball championship game? Someone claims to have evidence of this. We will discuss when we come back. Keep it locked right here to Locked on ACC. And thank you so much for making Locked on ACC your first listen and your first watch today. We're available free wherever you get your podcast.

free on YouTube. We're part of the awesome Lockdown Podcast Network. Your team every day. So Florida State, they got shellacked in the ACC Championship baseball game, 16 to 4 at the hands of Duke. I was looking at this

ex post. Now, it comes from a Florida State fan. So I don't know if he was doing like strategic camera work, but it was a Florida State fan who traveled, where did they have the champion? Was it in Charlotte? It was in Charlotte. It was in Charlotte. I thought. So he Florida State fan traveled to Charlotte to watch his team.

It made an awesome run. I mean, Florida State made a great baseball run to the final game. And he sent an ex post with this photo. He's at he was at the fan shop inside of the ACC baseball tournament. So he's at the tournament. He says they were selling apparel for all of the teams invited except for Florida State. Surely this is just a coincidence, right?

And he takes a picture of a wall of T-shirts. I see, you know, I see Hokies shirt. I see Pitt Panthers. I see Virginia. I see North Carolina. I see Duke. I see Miami. I don't see Florida State.

So I don't know if you just like didn't take a picture of the other wall or because obviously, we talk about anything that could hurt the ACC standings in these lawsuits. If they were intentionally not selling Florida State merch, obviously that would be a pretty bad look. I'll tell you what. of all the things the ACC could have done to directly put themselves in hot water in this case, I would hope, and I'm not going to say I know,

because I've said that before, and I've gotten a spanking behind it. So I would hope that the ACC is not foolish enough to do something as ignorant, as short-sighted, and as meaningless as not including Florida State merch in the bookstore, or in the fans shop or whatever the case may be there. Because at the end of the day, what does it even hurt to include it?

Florida State fans who want Florida State merch are going to go get Florida State merch. Why would you want to cut yourself out of getting a cut of that merch? They're going to purchase the merch anyway. It's just not going to be from you. What are we doing? I would hope the ACC is not that foolish. But if they are, I hope Florida State pulls out, as the kids like to say, puts belt to behind. for them and doing that foolishness.

Now hold on. He just wrote a follow-up post. He says it has been alleged from some reliable sources that there was FSU merchandise available as late as Friday in the week, but is completely sold out. He says, how is that possible, though, before the weekend even starts? There has not been significant demand during the week. So listen, it also can't, it may be possible that this is why Florida state need to get to the power to because they're so darn popular.

the T-shirts flew off the shelves the moment that the fans got in there. Maybe because I do see in the picture that he posted, I do see Clemson shirts. Clemson is also the ACCC. So why would they exclude Florida State but not Clemson? It wouldn't really make much sense. Your guess is as good as mine, but I will say you and I have talked a lot about the fact that Florida State is a big brand, a massive brand. One of the biggest brands in all of college sports.

So naturally, a U-T-shirt is going to sell out before a Texas Tech shirt with all due respect to the good folks and love it. A Michigan shirt is going to sell out before a Wisconsin shirt, with all due respect to the folks in Badgerland. You know, that's just how the game goes. And so if Florida State sold out, good form, more power to them. But again, I would hope the ACC is not doing anything to intentionally sabotage Florida State because you are going to have the dumbest possible thing that I have ever heard of in a lawsuit this big happened. This may be dumber than the guy since they're now apart. at ACC, dumber than the SMU guy when the check was written in his letterhead.

And he was like, oh, I never sent those people anything when he could have just said, oh, I sent them some insurance papers. You know, it would be dumber than that. So, you know, we'll see. Well, we're going to have a lot to get to later on this week, including, you know, more fallout from the House versus NCAA settlement, where ACC schools stand in terms of their budgets, right? because now everyone's going to have to budget in that 20 plus million per year starting around 2025, maybe later, but as early as 2025, you have to start revenue sharing.

So where does that money come from in the budget? Do we start charging more for parking on campuses? Do we, how do we, maybe the ACC network keeps kicking butt and they keep increasing revenue that way. But definitely it's a new era in college football. I want to send out a huge thank you and shout out to everybody who. who made Locked on ACC, your first listen and your first watch today. Make sure to smash that thumbs up button. Hit that like button if you're watching us on YouTube. You listen to the audio version, make sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts,

wherever you get your pods. Make sure to follow Kenton on X at TGIF underscore Kenton. Follow his show, Locked on Wolfpack. He and Grayson do an awesome job. Follow me at Alex Dono on X. Follow my show, Locked on Caines. We'll talk to everybody next time on another episode of Locked on ACC, part of the Locked on podcast network.

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