ACC commissioner Jim Phillips named chair of NCAA Board of Governors

ACC commissioner Jim Phillips has been named chair of the NCAA Board of Governors, the NCAA announced Thursday. He will replace Baylor president Linda Livingstone, who has held the role since 2022.

Phillips will serve a two-year term as board chairman, which takes effect immediately. He joined the NCAA’s Board of Governors in August 2024 as a voting member and will become the first commissioner to serve as chair.

“Serving on the NCAA Board of Governors has been an incredible honor, and it’s a privilege to be selected as chair,” Phillips said in a statement. “During this time of continuous change, I look forward to the ongoing collaboration with my colleagues to elevate the student-athlete experience and further tackle the opportunities and challenges within higher education. I’m also incredibly appreciative of Linda Livingstone, as her steady leadership over the past three years was remarkable.”

Phillips has served as ACC commissioner since 2021 after previously serving as the athletics director at Northwestern. During his time with the university, he became the first AD to serve on the Board of Governors during his first term from 2015-17.

Additionally, Phillips serves as the president of the Collegiate Commissioners Association – a role he took on last month. He has also served on the NCAA Division I men’s and women’s basketball selection committees and the Big Ten TV/media committee during his administrative career.

“My sincere thanks to Linda for her leadership and service as chair of the board. I’m also grateful to Jim for taking on this role and his continued dedication to the Association,” NCAA president Charlie Baker said in a statement. “His deep experience and strategic mindset will help us build on the momentum and progress already underway.”

Phillips was one of a handful of appointments to the NCAA’s Board of Governors this week. Ohio State president Ted Carter and Kansas president Doug Girod both joined as D-I representatives, while former Concordia-St. Paul athlete Davaris Cheeks is a Division II graduate student-athlete representative. Former Harvard athlete Allison Feaster, who also serves as the vice president of the Boston Celtics, was reappointed as an independent representative.

Jim Phillips’ appointment came as the NCAA Board of Governors approved two major initiatives. One would enhance the Division I basketball performance fund by adding additional units in the men’s and women’s tournament. Previously, the unit system stopped after the Sweet Sixteen. Additionally, the board established women’s championships in stunt, as well as acrobatics and tumbling.