The Atlantic Coast Conference, Clemson and Florida State have reached a proposed settlement that would end their legal fight and change the league’s revenue-distribution model, a person familiar with the situation said Monday.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because neither the league nor the schools have publicly addressed the settlement, which requires all three to formally approve. ESPN first reported details of the settlement.

Trustees at Clemson and Florida State have each scheduled meetings for Tuesday. The FSU meeting specifically lists lawsuits involving the ACC on the agenda, while the Clemson meeting agenda refers to settling “athletic litigations.”

The ACC’s Board of Directors – made up of university presidents and chancellors – will also hold a call to sign off on the settlement Tuesday during a previously scheduled meeting, the person who spoke to AP said.

If approved, the settlement would incorporate viewership ratings into revenue distribution among member schools, which would increase payouts to schools generating the most TV interest. The upside could be $15 million or more for top-earning schools, while it could also result in a decline of about $7 million for others, the person told the AP.

Still, it would offer another sign of stability in the immediate term for the ACC and Commissioner Jim Phillips, who has spent much of his four-year tenure working to find ways to enhance revenue as the league faces an increasing gap behind the Big Ten and Southeastern conferences.

The settlement comes roughly a month after ESPN exercised its option to extend its media base-rights agreement with the league through 2036, aligning that deal with a separate one that covers their partnership for the ACC Network through that same period.

It also comes in the first year of a Phillips-championed “success initiative” that allows schools to keep more of the money generated by their own postseason success, which could amount to about $25 million in a year — tied mostly to performance in the College Football Playoff.

League schools signed a grant-of-rights agreement that gives the ACC control of media rights for any school that attempts to exit for the duration of the ESPN deal. Schools had signed that agreement in the lead-up to the ACC Network’s 2019 launch, which meant the league could charge hundreds of millions of dollars for leaving the conference early.

Still, FSU filed a lawsuit in December 2023 seeking to explore potential membership in other leagues and challenging the league’s ability to impose those penalties. Clemson followed in March 2024. The ACC had countersued both.

ACC leaders had been discussing ways to rethink revenue distribution to help potentially resolve the legal fights with FSU and Clemson back to last fall.

The ACC has 18 member schools — 17 in football — after realignment led to the addition of Cal, Stanford and SMU.

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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll

AARON BEARD

By – Bucs Report

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are committed to securing Chris Godwin’s future with the team, despite the receiver’s impending free agency. Godwin’s season was cut short due to a severe ankle injury sustained during a game against the Baltimore Ravens. This development puts the franchise in a challenging position, as they must weigh the cost of retaining a talented receiver who still has value, but is recovering from injury.

Throughout the NFL Scouting Combine, the Buccaneers have consistently expressed their desire to re-sign Chris Godwin. However, with the new league year and free agency looming, time is of the essence. The Bucs must act quickly to reach an agreement with Godwin, or risk losing him to other interested teams.

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According to CBS Sports’ Jared Dubin, the Buccaneers are aiming to finalize a deal with Chris Godwin before he officially becomes a free agent, preventing other teams from entering the bidding.

“The Buccaneers got their quarterback and No. 1 receiver re-signed last offseason, and now want to make sure their No. 2 wideout is locked in as well,” Dubin continued. “Godwin is coming off a dislocated ankle suffered late last season, but according to ESPN, Tampa is hoping to get a deal done with the slot receiver before he hits the open market.”

If the Buccaneers fail to make a competitive offer, it’s likely that another team will step in and present Chris Godwin with a more enticing proposal, one that he may find too good to pass up.

According to Spotrac, Chris Godwin’s market value is estimated at $22.2 million per year. However, given his recent injury, it’s unlikely the Buccaneers will be willing to meet that price point, which may create a gap in contract negotiations. Spotrac projects a three-year, $67.5 million contract for Chris Godwin, and it’s possible that another team may be willing to offer the 27-year-old receiver a similar or even more lucrative deal.

The Buccaneers have publicly expressed their desire to retain Chris Godwin. With time running out before free agency begins, it’s time for the team to put their words into action and demonstrate their commitment to keeping him.

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The US, Canada and Mexico are the hosts.

Gianni Infantino, the president of soccer’s governing body, FIFA, and his group have a major problem with the 2026 Men’s World Cup. One of the three host countries, the United States has slapped a 25 percent tariff on the other two host countries, Canada and Mexico and there will be retaliatory tariffs coming. That cannot bode well for a harmonious 2026 event. The other problem is the shift in geopolitical circles which has left the United States allies, or is it former allies, scrambling to put together a new alliance. There are other leaders around the world who are not pleased with events in Colombia, Panama and Denmark. Could the various nations who have and might qualify for slots in the 2026 World Cup decide, let’s wait for Morocco in 2030 to compete for the FIFA World Cup? Infantino may have a real problem on his hands.

Once upon a time, FIFA officials were dreaming of American greenbacks, Canadian loonies and Mexican pesos flowing into the business. Now FIFA is staring at an economic mess because of the trade wars that have erupted in North America. On April 10^th, 2017, the United States, Canada and Mexico announced that the three countries would bid for the 2026 World Cup and President Donald Trump expressed support for the bid. FIFA waived its no co-hosting rule and awarded the event to the united bid on June 13^th, 2018. Sixteen cities or markets hosting 2026 World Cup matches. Mexico will get three contests, while Canada gets two. Eleven American cities will host contests. FIFA has navigated through the Qatar Men’s World Cup and has awarded the 2034 Men’s World Cup to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia but has not faced a situation before where one of the host countries has started a trade war against its two nation partners.

Evan Weiner’s books are available at iTunes – https://books.apple.com/us/author/evan-weiner/id595575191

Evan can be reached at evan_weiner@hotmail.com