Strictly hypothetical of course. 
Let's get our status with the ACC out first. As far as the ACC and our suit against them to leave, we have no where to go. We aren't one of the B10's top two choices, and the SEC is not expanding anytime soon. We are not dropping out of the ACC to go anywhere else are we?
The ACC is going to propose a new program to reward the top two football schools each year with additional funds as a bonus. This has actually been floating out there already and must have hit a snag to not have been announced. The format on the selection criteria is still a little fuzzy in my crystal ball, but essentially, if Clemson can remain one of the top two football teams in the conference (we have been for the past 10 years), the extra yearly revenue from the ACC will come close to what the B10 and SEC receives. Not equal by any means, but close enough to compete. Also, the grant of rights restrictions are reduced to a more palatable duration - say 2030. If things don't work out, we can leave. Until then, we just need to stay in the leagues' top two teams. Personally, if we can make this work, I'd like to stay in the ACC.
The revenue proposal passes and all teams have a cap of $22 million. I've heard both $20 and $22 million, so let's go with the highest. There will still be the NIL big spenders, but I believe that will be drastically reduced and only the very elite HS recruits will be in play. 80% of this number will go to the football team. That's $17,680,000. This is what Dabo is obviously waiting on and I predict he will open up to the transfer portal, and start supplementing our roster with a few experienced players - say 4 to 6 a year. For the record, I think our NIL program for the current players is probably pretty competitive. We haven't really lost anybody we needed to keep besides maybe Makuba, and there was some family stuff with him. Dabo is just not going to bet the futures on high school kids.
Anyway, it's tough reading all of the Dabo bashing and our freefall out of the college football elite. I don't like it either, but as a 70 year old 1976 graduate, we've accomplished more than my wildest dreams on the football field. Dabo has his way of doing things and I hope he stays at Clemson forever.
Let's get our status with the ACC out first. As far as the ACC and our suit against them to leave, we have no where to go. We aren't one of the B10's top two choices, and the SEC is not expanding anytime soon. We are not dropping out of the ACC to go anywhere else are we?
The ACC is going to propose a new program to reward the top two football schools each year with additional funds as a bonus. This has actually been floating out there already and must have hit a snag to not have been announced. The format on the selection criteria is still a little fuzzy in my crystal ball, but essentially, if Clemson can remain one of the top two football teams in the conference (we have been for the past 10 years), the extra yearly revenue from the ACC will come close to what the B10 and SEC receives. Not equal by any means, but close enough to compete. Also, the grant of rights restrictions are reduced to a more palatable duration - say 2030. If things don't work out, we can leave. Until then, we just need to stay in the leagues' top two teams. Personally, if we can make this work, I'd like to stay in the ACC.
The revenue proposal passes and all teams have a cap of $22 million. I've heard both $20 and $22 million, so let's go with the highest. There will still be the NIL big spenders, but I believe that will be drastically reduced and only the very elite HS recruits will be in play. 80% of this number will go to the football team. That's $17,680,000. This is what Dabo is obviously waiting on and I predict he will open up to the transfer portal, and start supplementing our roster with a few experienced players - say 4 to 6 a year. For the record, I think our NIL program for the current players is probably pretty competitive. We haven't really lost anybody we needed to keep besides maybe Makuba, and there was some family stuff with him. Dabo is just not going to bet the futures on high school kids.
Anyway, it's tough reading all of the Dabo bashing and our freefall out of the college football elite. I don't like it either, but as a 70 year old 1976 graduate, we've accomplished more than my wildest dreams on the football field. Dabo has his way of doing things and I hope he stays at Clemson forever.
