Longtime college football radio host Greg Swaim reports that the Big 12 won't make the same mistake with FSU and Clemson that they did with Texas and Oklahoma -- the Noles and Tigers won't receive additional Big 12 revenue shares.
"Obviously the Big 12 can't help Clemson, FSU, or any other ACC team with their exit, as that's completely on them," Swaim prefaced before saying, "And I very seriously doubt that any ACC team that makes a move to the Big12 will get any additional revenue shares, as the B12 learned their lesson well with the Sooners and Longhorns."
Given UT and OU's unceremonious exits from the Big 12, leaving the conference for dead before it made the Four Corner schools additions in 2023, it's not shocking to see the Big 12 play it safe. It certainly has the leeway to.
FSU and Clemson legal troubles make them unattractive to SEC and Big Ten but ripe for Big 12 membership
Texas and Oklahoma had far more leverage in 2021 than FSU and Clemson have right now. There were no public legal back-and-forths between UT and OU and the Big 12 like there are now with the Noles/Tigers and the ACC.
The lawsuits certainly made the Big Ten -- which was already on the fence about FSU and Clemson due to a lack of AAU accreditation -- and the SEC think twice about adding two trouble-making programs. The Big 12 is playing catch-up to those two, so they are in no position to turn away recent national champions for prestige's sake.
Ultimately, FSU and Clemson mean more to the Big 12 than they would've in the Power 2. The Big Ten could use expansion into the south to further build upon its revenue lead of all the conferences, but staying (somewhat) regional at least maintains the spirit of college football. The SEC already has schools in Florida and South Carolina.
Perhaps it'll all work out for everyone involved. Sounds like the Big 12 are getting a great deal out of it.