ACC commissioner Jim Phillips explains why league is opposing College Football Playoff expansion
ACC commissioner Jim Phillips spoke publicly on Friday for the first time since College Football Playoff expansion talks fell apart last week.
Phillips told reporters that ACC members are aligned in wanting to delay expansion of the current College Football Playoff model. Previously, the conferences were in discussions to expand the Playoff to 8 or 12 teams as early as the 2024 season.
Now, it seems expansion will be hold until at least 2026. Phillips cited the quickly-changing college football landscape — including the transfer portal and new NIL regulations — as reasons to delay expansion.
“To the ACC, we don’t have a college football Playoff problem,” Phillips told reporters on Friday. “We have a college football and collegiate athletics slash NCAA problem.”
Jim Phillips: "To the ACC, we don't have a college football Playoff problem. We have a college football and collegiate athletics slash NCAA problem."
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) January 14, 2022
#ACC commissioner Jim Phillips says this isn't the time to expand the CFP. There are too many other things going on with the NCAA and major changes to the collegiate model. Phillips says presidents and ADs support the league's position.
— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) January 14, 2022
Expanding the Playoff prior to 2026 — when the CFP’s initial contract with ESPN is set to expire — would have required unanimous approval from all FBS conferences.
Phillips also denied speculation that the ACC’s stance is related to a potential courtship of Notre Dame:
Jim Phillips on if ACC's anti-expansion stance has anything to do with wanting to add Notre Dame: "Absolutely, positively not true. One is not tied to the other, despite what others might speculate."
— Matt Fortuna (@Matt_Fortuna) January 14, 2022
Here’s a few other comments from Phillips about expansion and his thoughts on NCAA reform moving forward:
Phillips says they got feedback from ACC athletes, and Clemson "does not want to play any extra games."
— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) January 14, 2022
Jim Phillips insists that all of the ACC coaches are unanimous in wanting to pause of CFP expansion: "Coach Narduzzi and all of our coaches are unanimous that this isn’t the right time (to expand)."
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 14, 2022
Recap of Jim Phillips call:
– ACC supports expansion but there are more important matters, such as NCAA transformation, transfer portal, NIL, etc.
– ACC is no longer tied to an 8-team model
– ACC presidents/ADs/coaches believe 12-team playoff extends the season too much— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) January 14, 2022
