With the 2024 college football season approaching, ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips remained firm in his stance in regard to multiple lawsuits facing the conference. With powerhouse programs Florida State and Clemson currently embroiled in suits against the ACC, Phillips touched on the subject and conference realignment during a recent interview.
“This is a really important time for the conference. Either you believe in what’s been signed or you don’t. We’re going to do everything we can to protect and fight for the league,” Phillips said.
Jim Phillips continues to navigate ACC through Florida State and Clemson's ambition
In an ever-changing college athletics landscape, Phillips has the very tough job of making sure his conference is still standing at this time a year from now. In years past, that task wouldn't have been too difficult. However, in today's climate, it is an undertaking that grows harder and harder as each day passes.
Although it may seem that the ACC's Grant of Rights agreement is pretty airtight, Florida State and Clemson are challenging that very notion. If the courts rule in favor of the two schools, then the very fabric of college athletics will change once again. For a system that hasn't really undergone much change until a few years ago, both the conferences and schools are struggling to catch up at times.
“Ongoing dispute with two of our members. About the contracts they each signed twice and whether they will honor those agreements,” Phillips stated Monday during the ACC Kickoff.
It feels as if that is a statement in which the commissioner may be brushing off the challenges that both schools are bringing into our judicial system. Phillips went on to call the pending lawsuits “damaging, disruptive and incredibly harmful for our league.”
As legal process moves forward, the ACC's future is in doubt
After the swift destruction of the Pac-12 last year due to the lackluster proposed TV deal the conference received, the ACC shouldn't be going anywhere soon. Yet if either one of Florida State or Clemson wins their lawsuits against the league, then it is very possible that the conference will be the next one to go extinct.
The Seminoles and Tigers are arguably the league's biggest draws, and they have plenty of other solid programs as well. These programs could also grow into elite ones with the right combination of circumstances. Recruiting, coaching, and branding are incredibly important in the current landscape, and schools such as North Carolina, Miami (FL), and Georgia Tech could all be top-tier programs with the right breaks. Also, new conference members Cal, Stanford, and SMU could hit those levels in time.
Another big turning point in college athletics could be upon us soon. What will happen if Florida State and Clemson do end up leaving the ACC? We may see another storied institution go extinct before our very eyes and another win for conference realignment.
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