But the facts remain the same. The ACC holds every ounce of leverage, and Clemson and FSU saying they’ll stay in the league only under their terms is the ultimate walk-back, a desperation play. Which in turn means if the ACC goes along, it’s only offering those schools the dollar-lined off-ramp they’re desperately seeking.

All the talk this summer has been about the Clemson Tigers and the Florida State Seminoles trying to get away from the ACC. That may still happen, but according to an ESPN report on Tuesday night, the two schools and the conference may not be done just yet.

The ACC is exploring a new revenue structure in an attempt to resolve lawsuits with Florida State and Clemson and keep both universities in the league, sources confirmed to CBS Sp

Clemson football and Florida State football have increased talks about ACC negotiations after there was uncertainty in the conference.

The move is specifically meant to maintain the ACC membership of Clemson and Florida State. Both of those schools have challenged the enforceability of the conference’s grant of rights in court and have been open — either in public (FSU) or in court filings (Clemson) — about their intent to leave for another conference as the ACC lags behind the SEC and Big Ten in per-school revenue distribution.