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How Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney reacted when he heard Florida State is suing the ACC
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- How Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney reacted when he heard Florida State is suing the ACC
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – So what did Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney do last week when he heard the news that Florida State would be suing the ACC over the league's grant-of-rights deal and withdrawal fees?
He went to practice.
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"I didn't really have a reaction other than, 'OK, let's see what happens,' " Swinney said Thursday on the eve of his team's Gator Bowl game against Kentucky . "I don't know, just like everybody else. I read the article, or one of the articles, just informed myself. Went to practice."
Speculation has swirled since the annual ACC spring meetings in May – ironically held in nearby Amelia Island – that Florida State's days in the ACC could be numbered and that Clemson , too, is interested in pursuing routes to an exit.
Clemson was a charter member when the ACC was formed 70 years ago.
Clemson and Florida State leaders have repeatedly expressed concern over the ACC's grant-of-rights deal, which extends through 2036, and that the SEC and Big Ten have considerably more lucrative TV deals.
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"Those are big-picture conversations … higher level," Swinney has said. "It doesn't matter what I think."
Meanwhile, Kentucky coach Mark Stoops, whose team faces Clemson at EverBank Stadium on Friday (noon, ESPN), referred to Clemson on Thursday as being "built like an SEC team."
So would Stoops like to see the Tigers in the SEC?
"I'm not going to comment on that," Stoops said. "I don't want to be reckless. I'll stay away from that and concentrate on this game."
Scott Keepfer covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at skeepfer@gannett.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @ScottKeepfer
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney on Florida State's lawsuit vs. ACC
