July 22, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips speaks to the media on the ACC launch ceremony on the Hilton Charlotte Uptown. Necessary Credit score: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports activities With simply over a month left till the 2024 season, the Atlantic Coast Convention’s awkward authorized battle with member colleges Clemson and Florida State continues to unfold.
ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips promised that day-to-day operations would proceed as regular whereas insisting the league would aggressively combat the lawsuit filed by the 2 colleges over withdrawal penalties and a media rights settlement awarded via 2036.
The ACC beforehand filed countersuits towards the colleges.
“I can say that we’re going to do all the things we are able to to guard the ACC and our members, and now we have full confidence on this league that it’s going to proceed to be a prime league for the long run,” Phillips mentioned Monday on the ACC’s kickoff ceremony in Charlotte, North Carolina. It seems that these controversies are nonetheless extraordinarily harmful, harmful and very dangerous to school sports activities.
Florida State filed the lawsuit in December, adopted by Clemson in March.
The Seminoles claimed the ACC had “years of mismanagement” and questioned the league’s “draconian” withdrawal penalties. Clemson had comparable complaints concerning the withdrawal course of and the granting of media rights.
Phillips was fast to remind the assembled media Monday that Clemson and Florida State each signed copyright offers in 2013 and 2016.
“Frankly, (colleges) are wanting to conform to our present tv contract and the launch of the ACC Community,” Phillips mentioned. “The ACC, our collective membership and the convention workplace deserve higher.”
Whereas Phillips mentioned this wasn’t essentially an “evil” scenario, he made clear that the convention’s general plight was extra necessary than any single establishment.
“Highly effective moments deserve robust help and management,” Phillips mentioned. “I do not know that I’ve modified something, besides that I stand by all the things I say… You both imagine what you signed up for or you do not. We’ll do no matter it takes to guard the league.
“This league began lengthy earlier than me – 71 years in the past – and can stay a league lengthy after I am gone.”
The ACC will subject 17 applications this season after Cal and Stanford joined from the Pac-12 and SMU moved from the American Athletic Convention.
–Scene-level media
