ACC commissioner Jim Phillips detailed his conference’s opposition to College Football Playoff expansion during a call with media on Friday, citing the need for reform within college athletics. Phillips called for a “365-day review” of college football in 2022 that considers what projects to be an overall reorganization of the NCAA.
The comments came three days after the ACC and Big Ten emerged as primary obstacles of proposed expansion to 12 teams before the current television contract expires after the 2025 season.
“To the ACC, we don’t have a College Football Playoff problem,” Phillips said. “We have a college football and collegiate athletics/NCAA problem.
“We don’t feel this is the right time [to expand]. It doesn’t foreclose in the future about having an expanded playoff.”
The ACC’s presidents, athletic directors and coaches “overwhelmingly support” delaying expansion at this time, Phillips said. He specifically pointed out that ACC coaches “are unanimous this isn’t the right time.”
He may not have identified his conference as the biggest obstacle to expansion before 2026 by taking this stance, but the ACC has articulated its opposition better than any league to this point.
Phillips called for a “holistic perspective” in that proposed year-long review which takes into account athlete welfare, impact on academics and length of season. Those topics, however, were thought to have been dealt with by the CFP Management Committee (athletic directors) in several meetings after the 12-team proposal was brought forth in June.
Expansion talks broke down on Monday during a meeting in Indianapolis ahead of the CFP National Championship. Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby and SEC commissioner Greg Sankey were upset at the result…
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