There are a lot of questions to be answered as Wake Forest opens Spring camp. One of them is not who the focal point of the offense is going to be. Running back Demond Claiborne says he is ready to carry the load for the Demon Deacons.

Demond Claiborne Says He Is Ready To Carry the Load

Claiborne met with the media after the first day of camp on Tuesday. He talked about the significant change to previous years, with an entirely new coaching staff and an unprecedented number of transfers on the roster. “I love the old coaching staff, Coach [Dave] Clawson and those guys, but it’s different and this was a change that was well needed,” he said. He called the new staff, “Very high energy,” and added that the staff was, “Just wanting us to be excited for what’s next.”

With the installation of a new offense by new head coach Jake Dickert, it has been made clear to all who will listen, that Claiborne is the starting point for much of it. In our interview with Dickert a couple of weeks ago he told us that his schemes rely upon a running back who can run downhill like Claiborne.

The senior said, “It feels great,” when asked his thoughts on his new coach making him one of the centerpieces of the offense. “We know we’re going to run the ball. But they also instill in the team that we’ve got to do this together. He always says we’re going to run the ball to open up the pass. To put that out there as a team, it makes it a lot easier to go out there and play ball.”

The Decision to Stay

It wasn’t always a given that Claiborne was coming back to Wake. Toward the end of the season, the substantiated rumors were that he was going to look elsewhere. Before Clawson stepped down it seemed as though Claiborne could settle in for another year at Wake. And then the coaching change came.

Dickert said at his introductory press conference that he was going to meet with Claiborne later that day. That sealed the deal on Claiborne’s plans. “Our whole conversation was solely about how can he help me as a man,” Claiborne said Tuesday. “For us to be having that conversation really showed me who he was as a man and was really why I chose to stay here.” He added, “Having that relationship with my coach from the first day we met was something that made it easier for me to continue to want to be involved around here and stay a Demon Deacon.”

First Day Impressions

It is always ill-advised to make too much, good or bad, out of the first week of camp. There is a quarterback competition to be played out. There were flashes of very good mixed in with parts of head-scratching performances from every quarterback there Tuesday. The same was true for a significantly re-manufactured wide receiver room and the defensive backs.

One thing that was not in question was Claiborne’s first-day performance. Dickert grinned when asked about his running back’s day-one performance. “Here’s what I’ve learned about Demond,” Dickert said. “He’s the ultimate competitor. Even in walkthroughs, this is like, ‘Feed me.’ He said even the offensive line coach, Jared Kaster, commented on what a difference it was going to make to have a running back with a diverse skill set.

Linebacker Quincy Bryant knows Claiborne’s game having gone through years of practice against him. “He’s looking good. He’s looking just as fast as he always is. I’m just trying to keep up with him.”

The wheel route pass that Claiborne caught out of the backfield and took the remaining 80 yards proved Bryant’s point. Claiborne said he was confident it was a sign of things to come.

There will be another day of the work being inside, installing sets and schemes. After that, most of the remaining 13 practices in Spring will move outdoors with more new looks certain to come.

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There is usually a level of excitement surrounding things that are new. So it was easy to anticipate the noise that came from the first day of Wake Forest Spring camp Tuesday. The vibe led to a message repeated by coach and players alike that to a degree, everyone is a freshman again, as Wake Forest opens Spring camp.

The New Era Begins

Wake Forest Opens Spring Camp.

The first practice of camp moved inside to the McCreary Field House. It had little to do with the 38-degree temperatures outside according to new head coach Jake Dickert. It was about the “Functionality of the quickness of transition,” Dickert told the media after practice. He called the first couple of days of camp an “install” process. Nearly half of the roster is new to Wake. It is an entirely new coaching staff. There is a lot of work to do when it comes to cohesion on the field. The team even had a walk-through practice Monday. Dickert wanted the players to have an idea of what the first day was going to look like.

There was a discernible uptick in the decibel level of practice as well. With the usual coaches yelling throughout the workouts, players audibly excited, and music pumped in throughout the two hours, it had Dickert’s stamp on it. “That’s how we practice,” he said. “There will be periods where it will be deafening loud in here when we get in red zone or we get into third down. I like to practice in a fashion that replicates games.” He said that includes how long they spend on any given drill. He is looking to keep up a constant movement and pace.

Blending New and Old

Linebacker Quincy Bryant said of the mix of veteran Deacs , transfers from around the country, and a bevy of new high school signees, “It feels like we’re all freshmen again.” He described a big energy difference as, “Guys flying around all day.”

Bryant said that with the biggest mix of transfer talent Wake Forest football has ever had and the new players, there is some give-and-take among them. As a redshirt senior, he said he knows he is being looked at as a leader, particularly by guys new to Wake Forest.

He said the Wake veterans are relying on the players who transferred from Washington State with the new coach as Dickert translators. The on-field verbiage from Dickert and his staff is different than what was used by Dave Clawson for the previous 11 years. “Those guys are huge helps,” Bryant said of the WAZZU transfers helping everyone acclimate to the new head coach.

Making the Transition

“I like to say we’re all new,” Dickert said when asking about melding in the transfers with the Wake Forest returnees and the new high school signees. He said his biggest message over the last two days leading up to the start of camp was, “If you are still in the mode of like, ‘What I did last year,’ or ‘Where I was last year,’ you are so far behind being here right now in this moment.” He added that it is about creating an identity, which he said must happen on the field.

Defensive back Nick Anderson said while there has to be a coming together of the old and the new, at the end of the day, the end result can only be one way. “Not having it old versus new. This is the new Demon Deacons. We’re all in this together.”

The senior is on what he called, “I don’t know what, defense number three or four for me.” That means learning the new verbiage yet again. “They made some changes to their language. They made some changes to our language. Flashcards is the key,” he said with a laugh. “Get your flash cards going and, in a week, or so you’ll figure it out.”

The Quarterback Battle

Naturally, all eyes are on the quarterback battle. The position embodies the Wake Forest team right now. There are veterans who came in from other schools mixed with some Wake returnees looking for their chance. With seven quarterbacks on the Spring roster, it is work enough to make sure everyone gets the snaps needed at each drill for the coaches to have some thoughts going forward.

“I don’t like to do too much evaluation until we even get to practice six,” Dickert said. “I’m looking for a command. I’m looking for a guy that when he makes a mistake isn’t hanging his head. And how he’s making sure the team is responding to him.” He said with only 11 offensive linemen in camp they have to limit the full team reps in order to keep everyone healthy.

Main Image: Tony Siracusa

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The transfer portal is causing many college football programs to change how they handle the traditional Spring scrimmages. The reluctance to put some of their best talent on display before the end of the portal window has caused many to cancel their end-of-camp scrimmages. Florida State is taking the secrecy to a whole new level. On Monday the program announced that the media will not be allowed at Spring camp.

Changes in Tallahassee

Spring camp starts for the Seminoles on Wednesday. The school announced on Monday afternoon that for the most part, it would be closed to the media. This comes after years of the program having an open media policy during camp, both under current head coach Mike Norvell and under Jimbo Fisher prior to that. Norvell has enjoyed the reputation of being one of the more transparent coaches.

Norvell was scheduled to hold his annual press conference that comes prior to Spring camp. Just before meeting with the media, the school released a statement from Norvell. Within the statement, Norvell said, “In my first five seasons here, we provided unmatched access to members of the media to observe practices during the spring, preseason camp, and game weeks.”

The statement went on to say, “I appreciate and respect the media’s role in telling the stories of the people in our program and keeping our fans informed. In a day and age where so many people have access to our players, I want to create an atmosphere free of outside perspectives during our time of preparation and development.” He said he was doing what he felt was best for the program.

The program has 30 new players on the roster, and several new coaches on the staff, including new coordinators.

In the past, Norvell even kept some practices open to the media during the season with guidelines as to what could and could not be revealed to the public. Now there will be one scrimmage open and the TV stations will be allowed to shoot B-roll for their coverage.

Spring Games on the Chopping Blocks

The ongoing trend throughout the college football landscape is for schools to cancel their actual Spring scrimmage. Many are worried about other schools finding potential targets for inducing them to go into the transfer portal and make themselves available. Nebraska, Oklahoma, USC, Ohio State, USC, Texas, Missouri, North Carolina State, and Wake Forest are among the programs that have either canceled their Spring scrimmage or replaced it with a fan fest type of event.

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The most glaring problem Clemson had from the 2024 season was inconsistency in stopping the run. This issue nearly kept the Tigers out of the college football playoffs entirely. It surely is what caused Clemson’s early exit. The Tigers lost in the first round. The defense gave up 292 yards on the road to Texas in that 38-24 loss.

How Can the Clemson Defensive Tackle Position Improve?

Defending the run better starts up front with the defensive tackles. Interior defensive linemen are the most important piece in stopping the run. Penetration by the defensive tackles is what shuts down run plays. So as Spring practices continue to roll on we take a look at who new defensive coordinator Tom Allen will depend on to improve the Clemson run defense.

Likely Starting Defensive Tackles

One of the best things to come out of Clemson’s acquisition of Will Heldt from the transfer portal is that it moves Peter Woods back to the interior. Woods is better used as a game wrecker inside than a solid body on the edge at this level. The 2023 Freshman All-American dealt with lower body injuries in the beginning half of 2024. Still he racked up 28 total tackles, eight-and-a-half tackles for loss, and three sacks last season. Woods is expected to be the anchor for this defense. Getting back to disrupting things inside will help him be that.

Next to Woods will likely be graduate senior DeMonte Capehart. The six-year veteran has been a solid player on the interior of Clemson’s defensive line. Capehart has 51 total tackles and 10.5 tackles for loss in his career. The last two seasons he has shown he is ready to take a huge step forward in his contributions for the Tigers. This looks to be the year he will get his opportunity by becoming one of the starting defensive tackles.

Key Backups

When talking about the defensive line, the guys in the second line are just as important as the starters. Having the ability to rotate players upfront on defense, especially the interior, and not have much drop off in performance helps make a great defense. A player who may be listed as a second string player but will be vital in the success of the Tigers’ defense is Stephiylan Green. The redshirt sophomore really shined anytime he got an opportunity last season. Green had 16 total tackles, and two-and-a-half tackles for loss in 2024. He was also named a Second-Team Freshman All-American.

Many fans and people around the Clemson program are excited about Green’s continued development. Who will be next to Green on the second line is a mystery though. Several young players will get a chance to work their way into the second spot on the depth chart. If seniority is the leading determining factor right now though, Vic Burley is the name to look for.

Burley is also a redshirt sophomore. In 2024, he played in eight games, totaling 92 snaps. He had seven tackles to finish the season. Burley is another name many in the program are excited about. Head Coach Dabo Swinney has talked a lot about him since last offseason. Additionally, some younger players on the roster are very talented and looking to get onto the field as early as possible.

Young Depth

The thing about this interior defensive line group that both possesses questions and creates excitement is that most of the group is composed of young talent. All of these younger players have the potential to earn significant playing time sooner rather than later. A player that fits this description perfectly is true freshman Amare Adams. The top 100 recruit from the 2025 class has been praised for his outstanding athleticism for his size. With all the excitement around Adams, it’s hard to see him not getting a chance to show what he’s got early on.

Adams is not the only highly talented young player in this group fans are excited to see more of, though. Two redshirt freshmen, Hevin Brown-Shuler and Champ Thompson, are also waiting to capitalize on their opportunities. Brown-Shuler used up all his four games allowed to still be eligible to redshirt in 2024. He had four tackles after playing 49 snaps on the year. Thompson played in just three games in 2024, getting three total tackles.

All the players mentioned came into Clemson with high expectations. This group needs to live up to its potential in order for the Tigers’ defense to improve. Becoming a better run defense starts with them.

Main Photo: Ken Ruinard-Imagn Images

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While there will be a lot of new faces at the start of Wake Forest Spring Camp next week, it is the most familiar of faces that will be so noteworthy. New head coach Jake Dickert’s biggest recruiting work meant keeping the focal point of the offense. That meant making sure running back Demond Claiborne was coming back for another year at Wake Forest.

Jake Dickert’s Biggest Recruiting Work

Claiborne was Wake’s leading rusher in 2024 with a tick over 1,000 yards and 11 touchdowns running the ball. And that was in an offense that part RPO and part slow mesh. There were reliable rumors toward the end of the season that he was a likely candidate to transfer at the end of the season.

During the transition time with Dave Clawson leaving as head coach and Jake Dickert coming in, there were enough cryptic social media messages from Claiborne to keep people guessing.

Claiborne Stays Put

On December 14^th he posted on X that he was coming back. Two days later, Wake announced that Clawson was stepping down after 11 seasons as head coach. There was a series of posts that left it an open question as to Claiborne’s status.

Dickert was determined to be heard with his sales pitch. He met with Claiborne the same day he was being introduced as the new Demon Deacons head coach. He met with him some more after that. And as Wake was wrapping up its recruiting and transfer portal class, it was announced that Claiborne was in fact coming back. The transfer window came and went with Claiborne still in a Wake uniform.

It is clear how important this was to Dickert. “What a great way to start your tenure than to have an All-American tailback in Demond Claiborne,” Dickert told us a couple of weeks ago.

In fact, in our conversation with the new coach, the return of Claiborne and what his role in the new offense will be was a consistent topic in our time together. The vision for the offense is complex and multi-faceted. The vision for what Claiborne brings is much simpler. “It starts with the run game,” he said. That run game is going to be diverse. It’s going to be attacking. It’s going to get on the perimeter. And it’s going to be downhill.”

Dickert dubbed it a versatile spread attack. There are seven quarterbacks going into camp vying for the starting position. The likelihood of all seven remaining on the Wake roster after Spring camp is low. It would be low for any school. But while there will be battles waged for the signal caller, for the receiver spots, (as Wake lost a lot to the portal), and for the ability to shore up the offensive line, the starting running back position has no question mark around it in terms of the starter.

Claiborne’s Future

Claiborne averaged 19 carries per game in 2024. His high for the season was 24 carries for 60 yards in the win at UConn. He also had back to back games with 23 carries. Claiborne battled nagging minor injuries that come with the position. And some of the low carry totals were due to Wake Forest playing from behind so much, creating a need to open the offense up. There were a number of games where he was all but absent from the offense in the fourth quarter of games.

But if you buy into Dickert’s plan, his top recruit of the off-season will need to be physically ready to be the focal point of the new offense. “We’re going to get Demond Claiborne running as fast as he can downhill and watch that man go.”

That’s about as definitive as you can get on a game plan when it is only March and the start of Spring camp is still a little less than a week away.

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As Wake Forest starts Spring camp next week there is a lot of newness around the program. There is a new head coach for the first time in 12 years. There is an entirely new coaching staff. And there are plenty of new players thanks to transfer portal allowances and the presumption of revenue sharing on the horizon. And then there is the Wake Forest quarterback room which is mostly new.

It’s been a few years since the Demon Deacons returned an established starter at quarterback. In 2003, Mitch Griffis was dubbed in the Spring camp as the starter to replace Sam Hartman. He had a couple of starts under his belt at that point was far from a proven entity. The experiment did not even come close to success.

In 2024, then-head coach Dave Clawson went to the portal looking for answers. Griffis had transferred and his lone returner with any real game experience was Michael Kern. Clawson came up with Hank Bachmeier who had been a multi-year starter at Boise State and then again at Louisiana. There was the pretense of a quarterback competition in Spring camp, but the job really belonged to Bachmeier from the start based on his experience. His individual stats were a mixed bag. The team performance was just as bad as the previous year with another 4-8 finish.

The New Wake Forest Quarterback Room

Enter the new world order in Winston-Salem. Head coach Jake Dickert lured an unprecedented 22 players from the portal to Wake Forest. Among them were quarterbacks Robby Ashford and Deshawn Purdie. Those two get added to high school signees Elijah Oehlke and Steele Pizzella. All have been enrolled in school since January and will be available for Spring camp. Awaiting them is redshirt freshman Jeremy Hecklinski who got in a handful of snaps at Wake in 2024. Redshirt sophomore Tyler Mizell took two snaps in the season opener last year. Redshirt freshman Nick Rubino did not play last season.

That is seven quarterbacks looking to get in work in the Spring. Last year it was a two person “contest” with Bachmeier and Kern.

The offense is also going to be new. While the slow mesh accounted for about 25% of the play calls last season, it will account for 0% going forward. Dickert intends for the offense to have what he called, “the play action pass game with quick RPOs.” Essentially, if you need a category for it, it was what some will refer to as a power spread offense. But it is a scheme that is going to rely first and foremost on running back Demond Claiborne. “That run game is going to be diverse. It’s going to be attacking. It’s going to get on the perimeter. And it is going to go downhill,” Dickert told us a few weeks ago.

So, then what kind of talent did he bring in as quarterback to compete with Hecklinski? “It was the number one thing that we had to attack,” Dickert said, referring to his recruiting efforts. “The quarterback position needed a more competitive upgrade. We went right after it.”

He told us it was about having a big enough roster at the position that he could fulfill the here and now needs, and have players who could develop over time, “That the people can buy into for the immediate and the long term.”

He referred to Hecklinski as, “Obviously a great young talent and a tremendous ball player.” Most of the rest of the players in the room are still getting acquainted to their new lives.

Ashford is used to working in new locations. Wake Forest will be his fourth school. He spent two years at Oregon without playing. He then transferred to Auburn for two seasons and spent last year as the backup at South Carolina. This will be his last year of eligibility. “What a unique athlete,” Dickert said. “What a unique challenge for a defense with the type of skill sets he has.”

Purdie transferred from UNC Charlotte. He threw 200 passes in 2024, completing half of them for 1,802 yards, 10 touchdowns and six interceptions. Dickert said Purdie is, “Full of raw talent and size.”

Dickert expects the players to get better because of the open competition. He said, “That is the exact same thing I expect here at Wake Forest, is these guys raising each other up. No one’s allowed to have a down day, because you better be competing at everything we do.”

The Demon Deacons open Spring camp on the morning of Tuesday, March 18^th. The Spring training period will conclude on April 18^th with something that leans more toward a fan fest than a traditional open scrimmage.

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Let’s leave 2025 for a minute and look at our 2031 SEC Expansion Wishlist. That seems like the new date for the next round of conference realignment. The ACC secured a temporary reprieve from its execution sentence. The new agreement put an end to the internal disputes and power struggles between Florida State, Clemson, and the ACC conference offices. The financial penalty for leaving the conference has been significantly reduced as part of the settlement. While the grant of rights remains in effect until 2036, starting next year, the exit fee will be $165 million. This fee will decrease by $18 million annually, reaching $75 million by the 2030-31 season. ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips hailed the agreement as a victory for conference unity.

“Today’s resolution begins the next chapter of this storied league and further solidifies the ACC as a premier conference.” Phillips said.”The settlements and the ACC’s continued partnership with ESPN allow us to focus on our collective future — including Clemson and Florida State — united in an 18-member conference demonstrating the best in intercollegiate athletics.”

That is wishful thinking at best. The Doomsday Clock has now been set in motion. It is no longer a matter of if but when the ACC will go the way of the Big 12, Pac-12, and other conferences ripped apart by conference realignment. The ACC’s loss stands to be the SEC’s game. Before the ACC crumbles, let’s take a look at the 2031 SEC Expansion wishlist.

SEC Tailgate Talk: 2031 SEC Expansion Wishlist

When putting together our wishlist, we broke the ACC down into categories. Category one is Hard Pass. These schools don’t move the needle in the ACC now; what could they possibly bring to the SEC? The second category is the ACC schools within the SEC footprint. These schools already have a rivalry, but do they really have enough to intrigue or entice the SEC to bring them into the family? Notre Dame gets its own category because, although it is “Independent,” it does have a pretty intertwined relationship with the SEC. At the end of the article, we will provide you with the #1 team on our wishlist. You thought Texas and Oklahoma were big. Hold onto your hats…

Hard Pass

Teams:

• Boston College
• Cal
• Duke
• North Carolina State
• Southern Methodist University
• Stanford
• Syracuse
• Virginia Tech
• Wake Forest

Insights: 

This is half of the current ACC. Outside of Syracuse, none of these schools really carry the banner as their state’s preeminent collegiate institution. Cal and Stanford were discarded and bought on clearance when the Pac-12 disbanded. BC and Syracuse belong back in the Big East rather than the Southeastern Conference. SMU has ponied up and bought their way into the P4. But let’s be honest: the SEC doesn’t need a third Texas school, especially one that small. NC State and Va Tech will look great in the Big 12 or whatever is left of the ACC after the next round of expansion. Same for Duke and Wake Forest, maybe the new look ACC or the Big 12’s focus on basketball will be useful.

Schools within the SEC Footprint

Teams:

• Louisville
• Clemson
• Florida State
• Georgia Tech
• Louisville
• Miami “The U”

Insights:

Six schools in the ACC are already located within the SEC footprint. Many have annual or existing relationships within the SEC, making it seemingly a smoother fit and transition. But, looking at the list, ask yourself: what teams really get you that excited? Georgia has no shortage of Clean, Old Fashioned Hate for the Wramblin’ Wreck, but they hardly seem a fit. Louisville seemed like it was ready to cook athletically, but now it seems a better fit in the Big 12 or new-look ACC.

Miami and Florida State have gotten a lot of buzz, but it’s hardly 1990 anymore. There is plenty of buzz and sizzle around both programs but very little steak. Look at the issues that Oklahoma has had in its transition to the SEC. The Sooners were dominant and excelled in the Big 12. Florida State and Miami have spent more time running their mouths than accomplishing anything on the field.

Clemson makes the most sense—sorry, South Carolina. Their fan base and athletic department are adjacent to the SEC. They may still struggle in the transition, but they would be a much more natural fit in the SEC than any of the other five teams.

New Footprints

Teams:

• North Carolina
• Virginia

Insights:

North Carolina and Virginia are interesting. They are shiny and pretty; they are also desired greatly by the Big Ten and Tony Petitti. Adding both schools would expand the footprint, but in reality, it may be more like adding another Vanderbilt. A high-achieving academic school that struggles to put out a football team that can compete on a year-in and year-out basis. At question for Greg Sankey is: what is the value of real estate? SEC games in North Carolina and Virginia help to expand the footprint and establish a consistent foothold in new territories. For this, we may take a flyer and take both teams. This acquisition, though, would be based on fair and equal compensation from a media rights deal. Neither school merits a current SEC school “giving up” money to bring in Carolina or UVA.

Notre Dame

Here come the Irish? Wait, aren’t we talking about the ACC? Notre Dame is not “technically” in the ACC in football. They have a scheduling alliance, playing at least five ACC schools a year. Notre Dame is an Independent, and the bet on itself paid out this year. They hosted the first-ever home playoff game this year. South Bend brought in $20+ million in revenue just from that game. The payout for making the national championship didn’t have to be divided with anyone and basically paid their “House Settlement” revenue share with players coming up.  Notre Dame is also able to have a seat at the table for discussions around the Playoff and is given just as much voice as the ACC or Big 12 when it comes to making decisions.

Still, it begs the question: should Notre Dame join the SEC? This feels like a segment that turns into an afternoon conversation on Finebaum. The short and long answer is No. From Notre Dame’s perspective, it just doesn’t add up. Assuming their power and financial agreements around the playoff continue, the Irish have no reason to move. From the SEC’s perspective, Notre Dame again would be a nice to have. They have a passionate fan base, an athletic department with plenty of money, and is a TV ratings juggernaut. Sankey won’t beg or ask Notre Dame to join, he just has to wait. Like he did with Texas and Oklahoma.

#1 on the 2031 SEC Expansion Wishlist

Let’s go big game hunting. If the SEC wants to make a statement with an addition in 2031. They don’t have to look to the ACC or South Bend. Instead, their sights should be set on Ohio State. Yep, you read that right. What school outside the SEC is most like the SEC? Ohio State. The Big Ten media rights agreement with Fox comes up in 2030. If the SEC is going to tip the scales in conference realignment and truly make the best conference, then the gangster move is to bring Ohio State into the SEC. More than Clemson, North Carolina, or Virginia, Ohio State would set the SEC on its own. Is it a long shot? Yep. But, we aren’t counting out Sankey. It Just Means More.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: Updated at 3:37PM; As of the agreement from all parties, it has been announced that part of the settlement deals with the broadcast rights issue. The schools will be allowed to leave with ownership of their media rights as long as the exit fees are paid. The ACC, Clemson, and Florida State will take separate votes Tuesday that are expected to settle the four lawsuits among the three combatants. So now it is time for the post-game analysis to try to come to a conclusion as to who won the legal battles with the ACC, Clemson, and Florida State.

The schools are expected to have their vote on Tuesday. The ACC will have a conference call with the Board of Directors, which would be the presidents/chancellors of the member universities. All three entities must approve the settlement for it to go through and end nearly two years of litigation.

The terms are equal parts simple and convoluted. The original information makes it clear there is still some math to be done. But the basics are clear. The ACC will reinvent its television revenue sharing model to reward the programs that get the ratings. There will be a lowering of the fees for anyone who wants to exit the conference. That fee is expected to come down in 2029 or 2030.

But as is usually the case in these complex lawsuits, little is as simple as it seems.

The Biggest Question Goes Unanswered

There were multiple “main” points of the litigation with Florida State and Clemson as the plaintiffs. The ACC version was simple. They were accusing the two schools of breach of contract. Period. Full stop.

The schools sought to legally challenge the money it would take to get out of the ACC. But more than anything, they were fighting to own their broadcast rights should they choose to leave. While the exit fees were high, they were not necessarily prohibitive, especially with Florida State starting to take on private equity money.

But no school is attractive to a new conference if the athletic department is not coming with its broadcast rights in its back pocket. And with no judicial verdicts in this case, the question of who owns those rights if a school leaves the conference remains unanswered. And it was the biggest question of this entire legal undertaking.

A Few Schools Win

The revised revenue plan works like this. The schools that get the best ratings over a five-year rolling average period are now going to get 60% of the conference’s TV revenue. How many schools that will be is TBD, but a viable assumption is that it will be a group of three to four schools. SMU, Cal, and Stanford are not part of the revenue sharing model yet. That leaves 10 schools that will share the 40% of the television revenue.

In overly simplistic terms, those with the numbers could get as much as an additional $15 million each per year. But the conference is not getting any more money from its TV partners than what exists in the current contract. And the money for the winners has to come from somewhere. So the haves will be getting their money from the have nots. Those only getting a split of the 40% will likely lose about $6 million each per year from what they are getting now.

That seems to be good news for the likes of Florida State, Clemson, and Miami. Bad news for Wake Forest, Boston College, Virginia Tech, Pitt, and others. And the news for the non-heavy hitting ratings schools is that the drop in income comes at a time when the schools will begin revenue sharing with all of their athletes. ACC schools are a distant third among the Power Four conferences when it comes to the money being dolled out to the member institutions. Some schools taking a hit from that already comparatively low amount is going to hurt.

The ACC For the Win

The ACC got most of what it wanted. First, the conference is staying together for the foreseeable future. Florida State trustee Drew Weatherford said Monday after the decision was announced, “It’s not a matter of if we leave the ACC, but how & when we leave.” That sounds bold but the reality is different than the saber rattling.  There is still the money for the buyouts that comes first and no departure is likely before 2029.

And if the litigation had gone far enough so as to answer that question, it would have created a blueprint for North Carolina, Virginia, Miami and others to leave, thus ending the ACC as we know it. With this settlement, Commissioner Jim Phillips avoids the George Kliavkoff fate.

Big Two Conferences Win By Doing Nothing

The Big 10 and SEC are financially lapping the other conferences. Even with an additional $15 million per year, Florida State and Clemson will still be making less conference money than Rutgers, Purdue, Vanderbilt and others. That gap will grow larger as the TV contracts for the Big 10 and the SEC come up for renewal before the ACC gets anywhere near the end of the Grant of Rights.

The Big 10 and SEC will have interest in some ACC schools when there is the realignment musical chairs again in the years to come. But for now, while others engaged in two years of legal jousting, the Big Two began their cycle of owning the college football post-season formats and entrenched their national strength even further. They have their bottom of the conference schools making more money than they ever imagined.

Meanwhile, the bottom half of the ACC is about to lose money in a rob-Peter-to-pay-Paul scenario and they have little choice but to take it and be glad they still have a home.

The post Who Won the Legal Battles with the ACC, Clemson, and Florida State? appeared first on Last Word on College Football.

The ACC, Florida State, and Clemson have all reportedly reached a settlement that would end four court cases that are headed into their second year of litigation. ESPN’s David Hale and Pete Thamel were the first to report the news Monday afternoon. Terms of the agreement have not been made public, but sources that Last Word reached out to Monday morning gave us some details.

The Agreement and the Votes

The agreement would include a redistribution of the television revenue and would reduce the amount of money owed by a school for leaving the conference prior to the conclusion of the Grant of Rights contract in 2036. It does not resolve the biggest issue in the lawsuits. Still hanging out there is whether or not a school could leave the ACC and take its broadcast rights with it to a new conference.

Florida State has already scheduled a Board of Trustees meeting for Tuesday to vote on the proposed settlement. Clemson is expected to do the same, although there is yet to be a confirmation of the time of the meeting. The ACC is scheduling a conference call of all of its board of directors, (the presidents and chancellors of the member schools), for Tuesday. All three must approve of the settlement terms in order for the agreement to go through.

The Two Major Elements

The exit fees for leaving the conference were described as the easy part of the agreement. The current terms state that a school must pay four times the current operating budget of the conference at the time of the departure. A 2025 departure would put that in the range of $130 million and it would climb over the years.

The more complicated part of the agreement is the television revenue redistribution. The settlement refers to it as the “Brand Initiative.” Instead of even distribution to the participating members of the conference, there would now be more money for those with bigger TV ratings, and a hit taken by those with smaller TV ratings. There are 14 schools factored into the calculation as SMU, CAL, and Stanford currently are not getting any of the TV revenue as part of their agreement in joining the conference beginning in 2024.

Some ACC Schools to Get More Money; Others Will Take a Hit

Under the new plan, 40% of the TV revenue would be split evenly among all 14 schools. The other 60% would go into the “Brand Initiative,” and be added to the totals for the schools with the best ratings for football and basketball. What was not laid out, per our sources, was the number of schools that will qualify for the 60% group. There was no clear definition known as of Monday morning if it was going to be the top two ratings schools, or top three or four.

Based on a model of the top four schools taking part in the 60% of revenue split, those schools could earn as much as an additional $15 million per year. Conversely, that would mean the other 10 schools would each take a revenue loss of about $6 million per year.

The exactitude of the numbers is a critical element as the television revenue is a significant part of the revenue sharing that all schools are doing with their athletes starting this Summer. A net revenue loss of $6 million per year puts a crimp in the $20.3 million revenue sharing cap for schools like Wake Forest, Boston College, Virginia Tech and others. The cap will remain the same. But the source of the money in the cap takes a hit.

The Ratings Game

The motivation for the lesser schools to vote yes on the settlement would be the ability to no longer help finance the ACC portion of the lawsuits, which has already cost each party tens of millions of dollars.

There is extra money this year for Clemson and SMU with both of them having made the College Football Playoff. That is generating $4 million in revenue for each school. But with the proposed playoff expansion starting in 2026, the ACC would also be capped at only two teams ever getting automatic bids.

The specifics of the “Brand Initiative” also get tricky in that the ratings reward money goes to schools who are at the top in a five-year rolling average. The ESPN and network ratings would be the most significant factor. But our sources tell us there is currently little insight as to how to account for the media outlets and subscription channels with little to no ratings.

The Four Lawsuits

There are four lawsuits currently winding their way through various appellate courts.

Florida State v. ACC; The conference filed for the state supreme court to hear its appeal over Judge John C. Cooper’s denial of the motion to dismiss based on jurisdiction issues. Trial work has been ongoing as the judge also denied the motion for a Stay in the case.

Clemson v. ACC; The ACC is in the same process in South Carolina, although the trial work has come to a halt as Judge Perry Gravely issued a Stay pending the appeal.

ACC v. Florida State and ACC v. Clemson; Both of these started in the complex contract court in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. The conference sued both schools for breach of contract for trying to get out of the Grant of Rights. Both schools filed a motion to dismiss based on jurisdiction and sovereign immunity claims. Each was denied by Judge Louis Bledsoe III, (recently retired). Both were slated for appeal at the North Carolina State Supreme Court for later this Spring.

What Changed?

The claims by the schools were dealt a setback last month when ESPN agreed to stay in its contract with the ACC through the 2036 Grant of Rights. In June of 2016, each ACC school signed an amended Grant of Rights agreement that extended the date of the contract through 2036. The purpose, as stated in the Grant of Rights, was the extension of the agreement with ESPN. “WHEREAS, the Conference has negotiated an Amended and Restated Multi-Media Agreement with ESPN and a Network Agreement with ESPN.”

What the schools were not told at the time of the signing was that ESPN had a February 1, 2025 deadline by which it could opt out of the contract altogether beginning in 2027. Part of the claim by Florida State and Clemson was that the schools signed the deal under the terms of the ESPN extension, when the date commitments were not the same.

But last month, ESPN agreed to fulfill its extension in the contract, thus taking away one 9of the “attack points” in the FSU and Clemson claims against the ACC.

Since the beginning of the legal actions, the ACC has had to contend with the potential that legal victories for Florida State and Clemson would open the door for other schools like North Carolina, Virginia, and Miami to leave as well, thus creating a need for a completely reformulated conference without some of its biggest revenue draws.

Whether a school can leave with its broadcast rights in its back pocket will have to wait for another day to be resolved.

The post BREAKING: ACC, Florida State, and Clemson Reach Proposed Legal Settlement appeared first on Last Word on College Football.

Spring practices have started for the Clemson Tigers. The first session took place Friday, February 28th. This will be an important five-week stretch as Dabo Swinney prepares his team for a season with championship expectations. After a 2024 season that saw the Tigers get back to the college football playoff for the first time since 2020, the program feels re-energized.

With many of the top players from last season returning, Swinney went all in this offseason to improve his team. There were major changes to the defensive staff, and transfer players brought in who should be impactful immediately. The first steps towards winning a championship are being taken now. As Swinney mentioned in his opening press conference, though, it is a process.

Bringing the Team Together

One of the first things Swinney talked about in his opening statements to his first press conference of the Spring was the importance of building the team aspect for the Tigers through the Spring. Part of bringing the team together is getting growth in leadership from players during this time. There will be new faces who are expected to be important to the immediate success of the program. So, forming a sense of togetherness will be key.

A new defensive coordinator was hired. Along with him, enter two highly talented and experienced transfers on the same side of the ball. This Spring is the time they will need to integrate themselves fully into the team. The best thing is all but three members of the 2025 Clemson roster will be around for Spring practices. This will be an important piece in bringing this team together. Having almost everyone on campus and being able to get familiar with each other over the next month will help build the camaraderie needed to get through a college football season.

Getting Cade Klubnik to the Next Level

When Swinney was asked how he felt when Cade Klubnik officially announced he is returning, Swinney no sold his reaction, saying he expected him back. Regardless of how expected it was, the news of Klubnik’s return to Clemson was huge for the program. Klubnik enters 2025 considered to be one of the country’s best quarterbacks. He was also an early favorite to be a Heisman finalist.

Klubnik earned this reputation after throwing for 3,639 yards and 36 touchdowns with just six interceptions in 2024. Klubnik showed the consistency he lacked to go with the spurts of talent he showed in his sophomore season. Now, the rising senior will have to show he can take his game to another level.

If Klubnik can improve his deep ball accuracy and speed up his decision-making, it will make the Clemson offense tough to stop. At the end of 2023, there were many who did not think Klubnik could be the guy to lead Clemson back to winning championships. At the beginning of 2025, he is the main reason many believe the Tigers are national championship contenders again.

Acclimating the New Guys

Another burning question that reporters had at Swinney’s first press conference was about how well the transfer players are coming along. Swinney said they are doing well so far and went on to explain how Will Heldt and Jeremiah Alexander are great fits for Clemson. This is why he was happy to bring them in.

This has always been Swinney’s approach to not just the transfer portal but also high school recruiting. It is part of what he believes makes the Tigers’ program special. So far, it has worked, with Clemson having won eight conference championships since 2011. Bringing in the right guys for your program and getting them acclimated early on will always be a benefit. The faster Alexander and Heldt get familiar with the program, their teammates, coaches, and the playbook, the faster their impacts will be felt.

Bringing Back Dominant Clemson Defense

If you are a wall in Clemson, South Carolina, you better watch out for the Clemson linebacker group after a Tom Allen meeting. Following the first practice session of the Spring, both Sammy Brown and Wade Woodaz talked about what it is like having Allen leading the defense now. Both star linebackers expressed the way Allen makes them feel by explaining the ways they want to damage walls after one of his meetings.

Brown said about Allen, “The things he says, he’s a motivator. We get out of a segment meeting with him, I’m like, golly I want to run through a brick wall right now!” Woodaz, when asked about having Allen around, answered, “I love it. The intensity is like what I’ve dreamed of.” Woodaz then said the barking from Allen gets him so fired up that he wants to go punch a wall.

All of that is to say simply that the Tigers’ defense is energized by the arrival of Allen. This is great to hear from a defense as talented as Clemson’s. The unit’s performance, especially against the run, was disappointing last season. It’s something we mentioned that could cut their playoff run short, which it did. Woodaz says the Clemson defense has heard the criticisms, though. The senior linebacker also said the defense is hungry to prove themselves, feeling that they’ve had a fire lit under them.

It’s obvious even within the building there was frustration over the poor run defense. Woodaz went on to mention that Allen made his expectations known in the first meeting. That they will play with great effort and stop the run. If the Tigers’ defense does those two things in 2025, it will be an exciting season in Death Valley.

Main Photo: Ken Ruinard / staff / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The post What Will Make a Successful Spring 2025 for Clemson? appeared first on Last Word on College Football.