ACC Commissioner Calls for School and Conference Unity

Emphasizing Restraint and Cooperation in College Athletics

At the annual kickoff event of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in Charlotte, Commissioner Jim Phillips delivered remarks that highlighted the importance of "restraint" and "cooperation" among schools and conferences. He emphasized that as college athletics continues to evolve, it is crucial to establish a clear framework for the future.

Phillips pointed out that coaches and athletics departments have been urged to follow new restrictions introduced after the House vs. NCAA settlement. This agreement allows schools to allocate up to $20.5 million annually for direct athlete compensation while also introducing oversight of name, image, and likeness (NIL) contracts. This effectively sets a soft cap on how much athletic departments can spend on talent acquisition.

"It's about setting up a standard with transparency," Phillips stated. "We haven't had that in the NIL era. Sometimes we can't help ourselves. People know what the rules are relative to the $20.5 million. They know what legitimate NIL is. You can play in the gray area if you want, but all that does is undermine the new structure."

In addition to these financial guidelines, Phillips reiterated the need for government oversight. He continues to advocate for federal legislation that would codify the status of student-athletes as non-employees. This move is part of a broader effort to create a unified vision for the future of college athletics, one that balances the needs of individual schools and conferences with the overall enterprise.

"I've always tried to be part of solutions and collaboration," Phillips said. "We all have a responsibility to our conference, and I certainly do for the ACC, but I also know we have a responsibility to the enterprise — whether it's what's happening now with the College Football Playoff or what we do with a new governance structure or how we formulate the College Sports Commission. I'm pretty strong in my convictions but try to bring people together. The best way to get a deal done is maybe relent a little bit and give up a few things but keep an eye on what we're trying to achieve."

Playoff Expansion and Conference Dynamics

One of the most contentious issues currently under discussion is the potential expansion of the College Football Playoff. Different conferences have proposed varying models, with the Big Ten advocating for a system that includes automatic bids for the top four teams in its league. Meanwhile, the SEC and Big 12 have pushed for a 5+11 model that would grant berths to five conference champions and 11 wild cards.

Phillips did not endorse a specific plan, but he expressed support for rewarding conference championships and increasing access. He suggested that he would be open to a 14- or 16-team playoff that does not guarantee more than one berth for any single conference.

Another key aspect of the playoff negotiations involves a renewed focus on strength of schedule. The SEC has requested guarantees from the playoff selection committee regarding specific metrics that will be used to ensure teams with tougher schedules are rewarded for their efforts. An agreement on these metrics could pave the way for the SEC to adopt a nine-game conference schedule, similar to the Big Ten and Big 12. Phillips noted that this shift could force the ACC to follow suit.

"I like where we're at with eight games," Phillips said. "We'll adjust if we have to, but I think some of those traditional [non-conference] rivalry games that we really enjoy could go away."