ACC Commissioner’s Fiery Words For Clemson, FSU at Media Days

ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips struck a defiant tone when asked about the two school’s lawsuits against the ACC.

Jul 22, 2024; Charlotte, NC, USA; ACC commissioner Jim Phillips speaks to the media during ACC Kickoff at Hilton Charlotte Uptown. / Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

It sounds like ACC commissioner Jim Phillies is in the fight with Clemson and Florida State for the long haul.

Saying there were “limits to what he could say” because of the quartet of lawsuits involving the three entities, he made it clear that he intends to defend the ACC in the courtroom.

“These disputes continue to be extremely damaging, disruptive, and incredibly harmful to the league, as well as overshadowing our student-athletes and the incredible successes taking place on the field and within the conference,” Phillies said in his opening address at ACC media days in Charlotte.

Media days is usually a convivial occasion as media get together to talk with coaches and players about the upcoming season. But, things are anything but in the ACC.

Right now there are four lawsuits in three different states that involved Clemson, Florida State and the ACC.

Clemson filed one in its jurisdiction, which is Pickens County (S.C.). Florida State filed one in Leon County (Fla.). The ACC countersued both in their jurisdiction, which is Mecklenburg County (N.C.), where its home office of Charlotte is located.

Right now, all four lawsuits are progressing. Clemson and the ACC recently fought in court to have the other suit thrown out of the other court and both were denied.

At the core of the issue is television money and the league’s grant of rights, a document signed by all parties that binds the league together, theoretically, for the life of the deal.

The ACC’s television contract goes through 2036, a deal that helped launch the ACC Network. At the time, it was one of the best media deals in college sports, one exclusively with ESPN. But, since then the SEC and the Big Ten have signed deals surpassing the ACC and the Big 12’s per-school payout of overall revenue is now on par with the ACC.

Plus, those three leagues have the chance to negotiate new deals once before the ACC gets its next chance.

Part of the lawsuit revolves around getting a copy of the grant of rights. Recently, the ACC agreed to provide the grant of rights agreement to the Florida attorney general. Some of the information will be redacted.

“The fact is that every member of this conference willingly signed the Grant of Rights and unanimously, and quite frankly, eagerly agreed to our current television contract and the launch of the ACC Network,” Phillips said.

He defended his predecessor, John Swofford, who helped broker the deal, from personal attacks. He said there isn’t a day that has gone by that he hasn’t thought about the suits. That even prompted Phillips to thank the league’s general counsel, Pearl Houck.

He also said his relationships with Clemson and Florida State have not deteriorated and that his job is to defend the conference as a whole. He said the “legal piece is the legal piece.”

But he isn’t backing down.

“Forceful moments deserve forceful support and leadership,” Phillips said. “I don't know that I've changed at all other than I stand by everything I've said from the moment on the first interview I did around the Orange Bowl on ACCN to today.”