ACC Commish's New Comments on Clemson, FSU Lawsuits

ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips spoke Wednesday during the Commissioner’s Forum at the 2024 ACC Tipoff event at the Hilton Charlotte Uptown in Charlotte, N.C.

Phillips made his latest comments on Clemson and Florida State’s pending lawsuits against the conference, saying the ACC is ready for “long-term litigation.”

“As I stated in July, and it’s still consistent today with multiple ongoing legal cases involving the ACC and two member schools, there remain limits to what I can share on the topic,” Phillips said. “However, I will restate, we remain confident in our legal position and are prepared for long-term litigation.”

Last December, FSU filed a complaint in the state of Florida, while last March, Clemson followed suit. Both want out of the ACC’s Grant of Rights Agreement (GOR) and are fighting the league’s stringent exit fee, as well. The league sued Florida State in the state of North Carolina as a pre-active response to the Seminoles’ lawsuit, while counter suing Clemson’s complaint in the Tar Heel state as well.

The primary complaint for both Florida State and Clemson is having the ability to explore leaving the conference without the fear of losing their GOR, which the ACC says it owns through 2036.

“What we will not do is let the ongoing legal processes distract us from providing outstanding experiences for our student-athletes, teams, and coaches at our 18-member institutions,” he said.