ACC media days 2024: Jim Phillips laments ‘damaging, disruptive’ legal disputes with Florida State, Clemson

The ACC is embroiled in a legal battle spanning multiple states and jurisdictions that could very well upend the stability of the conference. Amid this turmoil, commissioner Jim Phillips took the stage Monday to open the ACC Football Kickoff by setting his sights on the ongoing litigation with member schools Clemson and Florida State, both of which are challenging the conference’s grant of rights. 

Phillips certainly didn’t mince words when discussing the off-field implications of such a process. 

“I can state that we will fight to protect the ACC and our members for as long as it takes,” Phillips said. “We are confident in this league and that it will remain a premier conference in college athletics for the long-term future. These disputes continue to be extremely damaging, disruptive and incredibly harmful to the league as well as overshadowing our student-athletes and the incredible successes taking place on the field and within the conference.” 

The ordeal stretches back to Dec. 22, 2023, when Florida State filed a lawsuit against the ACC claiming the conference’s grant of rights penalty was unenforceable and that the ACC breached its contract with the university for failing to create proper media rights value. The ACC actually preempted Florida State’s suit, filing one of its own the day before alleging Florida State of breeching its contract. 

Clemson joined the fray this past March with its own stand against the grant of rights, though the school also ensured in a press release that it had not given notice it is exiting the conference. 

Florida State later filed an amended legal complaint that took aim at former ACC commissioner John Swofford, under whose leadership the current media deal and grant of rights were signed. The complaint claims that Swofford was acting in the best interests of his son, an employee of Raycom Sports, over those of the conference, according to the Tallahassee Democrat. 

“John Swofford is a decent and honorable man that is widely respected in our industry,” Phillips said. “He led this conference with a steady hand for over two decades and did so through consensus and compromise. The fact is that every member of this conference willingly signed the grant of rights unanimously and, quite frankly, eagerly agreed to our current television contract and the launch of the ACC Network.”

If they do not win their respective legal battles, Florida State and Clemson would have to pay more than $500 million each to leave for another conference before 2036. According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, there is no expectation for Florida State or Clemson to notify the ACC that they intend to leave by the Aug. 15 deadline to depart after the 2025-26 year.