Florida Attorney General wants ACC’s ESPN contracts amidst FSU lawsuit

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody has joined Florida State’s legal fight against the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Moody requested copies of several ACC contracts on Thursday as FSU and its conference continue legal challenges that bind the two.

Specifically, Moody sent a public-records request asking for all ACC “financial, business, and membership records” related to FSU. Those include grant-of-rights agreements and contracts and communications with the conference’s TV partner, ESPN.

“One of Florida’s top universities is facing the possibility of forfeiting more than half a billion dollars, and the ACC is refusing to hand over the agreements at the center of this astronomical financial penalty,” Moody said in a statement. “They are unlawfully keeping these documents locked away in North Carolina. However, North Carolina and Florida state laws are clear that these agreements are public records and must be handed over immediately. Today, I am taking action to ensure FSU and the public are able to review these agreements.”

Her request calls for the ACC to provide the documents within 10 days.

Last month, Moody opened an unrelated antitrust investigation into the College Football Playoff regarding the Seminoles’ exclusion from the final four. Her office sent a civil subpoena for documents and information in that case with a Jan. 11 deadline.

This story will be updated.

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