Maryland attorney general (Doug Gansler) is suing the ACC regarding the University of Maryland's departure to join the Big Ten. The complaint alleges that the ACC's exit fee is a violation of antitrust law. He's also moved to dismiss the lawsuit that the ACC had already filed against Maryland.
INTERESTING: When the ACC voted to raise the exit fee last September, UM's president Wallace Loh voted against the hike. He defended his vote on legal principles: "You talk about damages, not penalties, and it has to be a reasonable estimate. That's the law. We live in a free economy. We want people to move freely in and out of relationships. That's the philosophical principle. What constitutes reasonable? That's for a court to decide."
The ACC bylaw states: "Upon official notice of withdrawal, the member will be subject to a withdrawal payment, as liquidated damages, in an amount equal to three times the total operating budget of the Conference (including any contingency included therein)."
