ACC's Phillips Says League Not United on College Sports Bill
ACC commissioner Jim Phillips said the conference is not unanimous on the Protect College Sports Act as it moves to the House. Four ACC presidents—Clemson, Florida State, Miami and North Carolina—asked House Speaker Mike Johnson to revise the bill's realignment provision, including raising the membership cap to 22 and removing a brief independence requirement for schools switching leagues. Phillips said the schools' concerns about parts of the 171-page bill do not mean they oppose the entire legislation.
At ACC Tipoff, Commissioner Jim Phillips said the league lacks a single shared position on the Protect College Sports Act. Four member presidents—Clemson, Florida State, Miami and North Carolina—sent House Speaker Mike Johnson a request to alter realignment rules: lift the conference membership ceiling from 20 to 22 and drop a short independent-status condition for schools changing leagues.
Phillips noted the 171-page proposal contains provisions members both favor and dislike, so disagreement over realignment does not equal blanket opposition. The bill now moves to the House, where realignment language has drawn scrutiny over its possible effects on the ACC.
If Congress adjusts membership caps or waiting periods, it could reshape conference membership decisions, potentially affecting athletes’ competitive opportunities, travel, and media exposure, as well as universities’ revenues and local economies tied to college sports. ACC schools and their fans may see greater certainty or further uncertainty depending on how lawmakers resolve the disputed provisions.