Jim Phillips expects 'four or five years' of ACC stability, praises conference's position

Over the last two years, the ACC received questions about its future. The conference faced lawsuits from Florida State and Clemson while also adding three new members amid a groundbreaking round of realignment.

Now, those newcomers are a year in, and the lawsuits were resolved. As a result, commissioner Jim Phillips said he expects “four or five years” of stability.

Phillips praised the state of the conference while speaking with reporters at its spring meetings this week. He pointed out the impact “chaos” can have, but also said both the ACC and college sports as a whole need to “settle down” a bit.

“I got to believe, over the next four or five years, I would hope. … I just think you’ve got to settle down,” Phillips said. “I think college athletics needs to settle down – not just the ACC. And I think we’ve positioned ourselves for that, and that’s a good thing. It just is. Chaos and the constant wondering of what’s happening here or there, I just think that distracts from the business at hand. But I feel good about where we’re at.

“I still live one day at a time. But I do think there’s a period of time where let’s settle in, let’s get some of these things done and let’s go win, compete for championships, and then see where the future takes us.”

The ACC now has 18 members – 17 in football – after adding Cal, SMU and Stanford. Additionally, the conference came to terms on a settlement agreement with Florida State and Clemson to resolve the lawsuits. The ACC’s grant of rights was at the center of legal disputes between both schools and the conference.

According to the proposal, the exit fee will be $165 million for fiscal year 2026. It then drops by $18 million per year until it gets to $75 million in 2030-31 and levels off. Schools will also keep their media rights after paying the exit fees.

Revenue distribution was another important area. As the Florida State board walked through the terms of the settlement, it confirmed a new revenue distribution model based on a five-year rolling average of TV ratings. A majority share – 60% – of the base media rights will be placed into a viewership pool to be distributed via a TV ratings-based model, the settlement terms said. It will take effect this coming year.

Clemson projected the “opportunity” for more than $120 million in new revenue over the next six years in its board meeting. It includes the “viewership pool,” as well as enhanced ACC “success initiatives.”