Jim Phillips on the lawsuits against Florida State and Clemson: “We will fight”

With the 2024 season approaching, the ACC is still in legal disputes with two key members. Clemson And State of Florida are fighting the conference on several fronts. The Seminoles are challenging the ACC's rights allocation, trying to get released and possibly go elsewhere. As for Clemson, a North Carolina court ruled in favor of the ACC this summer.

Commissioner Jim Phillips gave the latest update from his side, saying that the ACC plans to “fight” against Clemson and Florida State. He explained that both schools signed an agreement (twice) to be members for the next two decades and that he wants them to honor it.

More than anything, Phillips hopes that sports on the field can become a priority once the fall semester begins. After all, Florida State will play in the first college football game of the 2024 season, facing Georgia Tech Institute Dublin.

“Look, it's disappointing that we're in this situation,” Phillips said in an interview with SportsCenter on Tuesday. “It's a dangerous situation. But that's what we're going to do. We're going to fight. And that's the way it should be. If you sign an agreement twice — sign voluntarily — and you're part of a group that comes together and decides you want to continue like this for the next 20 years, you should be held accountable for that. Other than that, we're going to check that part off and go into football season.

“And I'm really looking forward to that. Some of the legal conversations and some of the dynamics around these cases have hurt the ACC, they've destroyed the incredible success of our student-athletes in football and in all of our 28 sports. With the kickoff this weekend, maybe we can put the legal side – legal issues – aside and focus on what young men and women are doing on the competitive field with our fall sports.”

Phillips was then asked if there was a solution to the Mediation between the ACC and Florida State, possibly this week. He left it to the lawyers to sort it out.

“We continue to abide by the judge's decisions and this particular judge in Florida has decided that mediation is part of his work in all cases and we will continue to do that,” Phillips said. “Again, that's up to the lawyers to decide.”