ACC commissioner Jim Phillips wants to be able to lay claim to the excitement the ACC is providing in Week 0 in Ireland with Georgia Tech battling FSU, the latter of which has launched a legal battle with the conference. Phillips offered an olive branch to Florida State and Clemson ahead of the 2024 season's August 24 kickoff.
“Listen, it’s disappointing we’re in this place,” Phillips said on August 20 (h/t On3). “It’s a harmful, kind of, situation. But we’re going to do just that. We’re going to fight. And that’s the way it should be. When you sign an agreement twice — willingly sign — and that you are part of a group that comes together and decides this is what you want to do for the next 20 years, you should be held accountable for that. That being said, we will compartmentalize that piece of it and we will go into the football season.
“And that’s what I’m really looking forward to, is some of the legal conversations and some of the dynamics around these cases has taken away from the ACC, taken away the incredible success that our student-athletes are having in the sport of football and across all 28 of our sports. With the kickoff this weekend, we can maybe put the legal side — legal issues to the side and we can focus on what young men and women are doing on the competitive playing field with our fall sports.”
FOX wants to poach FSU and Clemson from ACC
FOX reportedly wants to poach the Noles and Tigers from the ACC and keep them out of the SEC, basically keeping them out of ESPN's hands, according to longtime college according to Warchant's Jeff Cameron.
“Really, it boils down to whether or not FOX or ESPN, in my opinion, decides that that’s an asset they would go after,” Cameron said. “I’ve heard rumors that certainly FOX would love to plant a flag in the SECs’ backyard or ESPN’s backyard, if you consider the SEC to be that. It would maybe be a wise move for them to do that, to go grab a Florida State and a Clemson. I don’t know who else is on the docket there, but certainly, those are the two that want out and they are making that known legally. So I wouldn’t be surprised to see that, but right now, I know this.
“Regardless of whether the SEC wants them or doesn’t, whether ESPN will decide to salvage some assets and restructure the ACC contract and at that point, decide that this is where Florida State and Clemson need to be, maybe it happens, maybe it doesn’t, maybe FOX comes swooping in. But I do know just from the marketability of the program – and certainly, when you talk to TV executives and really, objectively speaking, anybody who follows college football – understands that Florida State is a top-10 or 15 asset in college football, period. It’s really not arguable. The numbers bear that out, too. It’s not an opinion, when you look at ratings and all that stuff.”
Unfortunately, it's too late for Phillips to regain control of this narrative. His conference has counter-sued their way out of a partnership with FSU and Clemson, and the two recent national champions are wanted by every other Power Conference.
Every season the Noles and Tigers are still in the ACC will be an awkward one where everyone is thinking about what's next for FSU and Clemson.