After Strong Words, Phillips Comments on ACC's Working Relationship with FSU, Clemson

CHARLOTTE — Jim Phillips did not hold back in his words when addressing the ACC media Monday as the conference kicked off its football season with its Annual ACC Football Kickoff at the Hilton in Uptown Charlotte.

The ACC Commissioner was very emotional and direct in his remarks pertaining to the Clemson and Florida State civil suits against the league. However, though he said the lawsuits were “distracting” and “harmful” to the conference, he said his relationship with Clemson and Florida State remain respectful and professional.

“I think very highly of [FSU President] Rick McCollough, [Clemson President] Jim Clemons. I’d say we’re friends,” Phillips said. “I think very highly of [FSU athletic director] Michael Lawford and [Clemson athletic director] Graham Neff. It hasn’t changed my working relationship with them at all – at all – because of how I’ve tried to address it and how I’ve asked the staff to address it. And that is, the legal piece will be the legal piece.

“We will do what we have to do just like they are going to do what they have to do.”

Florida State sued the ACC in December, while Clemson followed suit in March. Both schools are suing the conference over the league’s Grant of Rights Agreement and a $140 million exit fee.

The Seminoles and ACC met in court earlier this summer, while Clemson and the league met in a Pickens County Courtroom on July 12 and 10 days before in a Charlotte court.

“The moment that first lawsuit happened in December, I grabbed the staff and I told them that we are not going to treat any school any differently because student-athletes have nothing to do with this, coaches have nothing to do with this, a lot of administrators don’t. This is just a separate piece,” Phillips said. “We owe these young men and women at those two schools the very best experience possible. This thing doesn’t have to be evil. This thing doesn’t have to be about hatred, all the other things that I think we all see kind of free flowing in our society.

“It’s important and we’ve taken our stance. We’ll stay on that stance, but we’ll do it in a very respectful way.”