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Conference Realignment: Derrick Brooks Says The Big 12 Contacted Florida State First

Speculation linking the Florida State Seminoles to the Big 12 will not go away quietly, much to chagrin of FSU president Eric Barron. The latest conference jumping nugget was offered up by former Seminole and current Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Derrick Brooks. He told Tim Brando that the Big 12 actually made the first move, by contacting FSU about joining that conference.

Prior to this revelation, both Florida State officials and the Big 12 have denied that any conversations between the two entities have taken place. Brooks, a former FSU trustee, is the first higher up with any authority to claim otherwise on the record.

FSU athletic direction Randy Spetman denies Brooks' statement.

The news could present legal problems as issues with tampering and contract infringement surface. The ACC could sue to keep one of its most valuable programs from taking flight.

Florida State officials have made public intimations about the need to look elsewhere, even as other school officials say they are happy with membership in the ACC. The Seminoles stand to get a bigger piece of television revenue pie in the Big 12.

For more on Florida State football, visit the Seminoles blog blog Tomahawk Nation. For all your NCAA football news and notes, be sure to check out SB Nation's college football hub.

Photographs by cstreet.us, thelastminute, turtlemom nancy , fesek, kthypryn, justinwright, sue_elias, pointnshoot, and scrapstothefuture used in background montage under Creative Commons. Thank you.