Florida State athletic director Michael Alford knew there'd be controversy when he addressed the school's board of trustees last week. He'd already talked with several other athletic directors around the ACC who shared his concerns. There was an elephant in the room, Alford believed, and it was time someone addressed it directly, publicly, bluntly.
"At the end of the day, for Florida State to compete nationally," Alford told the board, "something has to change moving forward."
The numbers, he explained, are stark.
In the next few years, new TV deals for the SEC and Big Ten will kick in that will provide member institutions in those leagues with $30 to $40 million more annually than Florida State will receive from the ACC.