ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips is speaking Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. at the 2022 ACC Kickoff in Charlotte. AFP editor Chris Graham live blogs the commissioner’s annual State of the ACC address.
9:31 a.m. The session opens with loud music accompanying a video montage of ACC sports highlights from 2021-2022. It almost feels we’re at a live pro wrestling show waiting for the ring announcer to introduce the combatants.
9:36 a.m. Phillips begins with a bit of a filibuster, listing successes of the league’s members in 2021-2022, talking academics, off-field ventures and the rest.
9:40 a.m. Phillips is still filibustering. The sharks at their laptops are getting restless.
9:41 a.m. Phillips on NIL: “Fair regulation of recruiting is essential for fair competition,” addressing the use of NIL as an inducement to aid recruiting.
A patchwork of state laws will not get the job done. “Only Congress” can provide the proper regulatory framework, Phillips said.
9:45 a.m. “Those who clamor for a pay for play system alone disregard the collegiate principle of diverse offerings,” Phillips said, offering the reminder that there is more to college athletics than football and men’s basketball, and that women’s sports need to remain a priority.
9:48 a.m. Any new structure to the NCAA must serve many, “not a select few,” Phillips said.
We are not the professional ranks. This is not the NFL, or NBA-light.”
“This should not be a winner-take-all or zero-sum structure.”
9:49 a.m. Phillips cites the growth of the NCAA basketball tournament as an example for college football to learn from, signaling a change in approach from his opposition to an expansion of the CFP last summer.
9:53 a.m. Phillips hypes the ACC Network, and announces the pending debut of a new afternoon show featuring Mark Packer, “fresh out of the witness-protection program,” that will debut in August and air weekdays from 4-7 p.m.
Packer’s “Packer and Durham” morning show on ACCN with Wes Durham had come to an unexpected end last month.
The new show will be football-focused, Phillips said.
9:56 a.m. This has all been well and good, but we’re nearing a half-hour without Phillips taking a single question. This would seem to be by design.
9:59 a.m. “The ACC continues to be supportive of an expanded football playoff,” Phillips said. Except that last year, he didn’t.
Says something about not liking last year’s model. Which is rubbish.
10:01 a.m. “While the ACC is strong, we are continually evaluating all options” that could strengthen the ACC,” Phillips said.
“All options must be carefully evaluated,” Phillips said.
10:03 a.m. “We’re looking at our TV contract.” The ACC is in almost daily conversations with ESPN, Phillips said.
“It doesn’t mean we’re going to make a move; it doesn’t mean we’re going to make a move. All options are open,” Phillips said.
10:05 a.m. Phillips thinks there could be news at the end of August regarding progress toward a new CFP structure. There’s a lot of things to discuss, he said.
10:06 a.m. Expansion isn’t the only solution to the ACC’s revenue woes, Phillips said. “All neighborhoods need to be healthy,” he said.
“Considering all of our options,” he said, for the thousandth time.
10:09 a.m. The search for a new conference HQ home started with 18-20 different cities; now down to three. Hopeful to have a decision in the next month or two, Phillips said.
10:13 a.m. “I love our 15 schools, and I’m confident we’re staying together,” Phillips said.
“We continue to remain close with Notre Dame. We know that we would love to have them a football member in the conference. … I also know what independence means to Notre Dame,” Phillips said.
10:14 a.m. Phillips said he isn’t going to talk “about details about who we have or haven’t talked about.”
“Making a move just to make a move doesn’t make any sense.”
10:16 a.m. On revenue distribution within the league: “When you look at revenue, when you look at closing the gap, when you look at distribution, all of that is part of a similar conversation,” Phillips said.
10:17 a.m. On NIL: “We really, really need some help from Washington,” Phillips said.
“I feel like we’re seeing some momentum here.”
10:18 a.m. On the grants of rights: “People talked about Oklahoma and Texas leaving immediately. I think we can see now that is not the case,” Phillips said.
“You can follow the logic there.”
On TV partners: “We have a deep relationship with ESPN. A valuable relationship.”
10:25 a.m. Last question: another one on grants of rights.
“Everything is on the table. We understand what revenue means going forward. … The window is through ’36, so we’re going to have to address that, no question.”
Share
Chris Graham
