Longtime college football radio host Greg Swaim hinted that July 12 could be the day FSU and Clemson leave the ACC -- or reach a conclusion one way or another in the two schools' ongoing legal battles with the conference.
Of course, given the history of conference realignment -- the Big East and WAC say hello --, it's likely that the legal troubles will more than likely end with FSU and Clemson leaving the conference.
Swaim shared a cryptic post on X that read "July 12." The post also featured a looking eyes emoji and a GIF of Michael Jackson eating popcorn; an iconic meme from the King of Pop's "Thriller" music video.
July 12 is when Clemson’s lawyers are requesting the Pickens County Court to hold a summary judgment hearing. Per The Clemson Insider, "the school’s argument is that the ACC can fulfill its obligations in the ESPN contract without having to hold on to Clemson’s GOR."
FSU and Clemson may not receive SEC interest, could join Big Ten after ACC exit
According to college football insider Brett McMurphy, the SEC may not have interest in adding FSU and Clemson due to the existing presences of UF and USC in the Florida and South Carolina markets, respectively.
Instead, the SEC would have interest in getting into the North Carolina and Virginia markets and pursue teams in those states instead.
"...as soon as they do reach a settlement and there is a number established for Florida State and Clemson to exit, then that opens the door for other schools to leave," McMurphy said (h/t On3). "The North Carolina schools, the Virginia schools. Certainly the SEC would have interest. I don’t think they have interest in Florida State or Clemson because they’ve already got Florida and South Carolina.”
The Big Ten's AAU accreditation requirements were previously thought to be a barrier to FSU and Clemson joining the conference, but the B1G could waive those to land two of the most powerful brands in the sport.