‘Part of a team.’ ACC fans get a first look at new commissioner Jim Phillips.
Many ACC fans got their first look at the conference’s newly named commissioner early Tuesday morning.
Jim Phillips, who will take over in February as ACC commissioner, made an appearance on the “Packer and Durham” show on the ACC Network. He spoke of the challenges ahead, in the ACC and in collegiate sports, of dealing with a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic, with social unrest, with the coming changes in the “collegiate model” that will include such important issues as name, image and likeness for athletes.
Phillips also spoke of how his upbringing helped him along the way, prepared him for this moment, this job. A Chicago native raised in the Portage Park suburb, he was the youngest of 10 children, with all the internal family competition that created.
“Absolutely, there’s no question in my mind,” Phillips told hosts Mark Packer and Wes Durham. “It’s about collaboration. It’s about sometimes you lead, sometimes you have to relent. Sometimes you have to try to bring people together who have different views.
“It really is about working together, being part of a team, something bigger than yourself.”
The ACC made the announcement Monday that Phillips had been chosen as the new commissioner, succeeding John Swofford who is set to retire in June. Phillips said he had a chance to speak with many of the presidents, chancellors and athletic directors at the ACC schools during the day, saying there was an “underlying tone” in those conversations.
“There is great collaboration, there is great synergy amongst the schools,” he said. “We have to make sure that all 15 institutions are fully integrated into the conference.”
‘Collegiate model under siege’
As athletic director at Northwestern since 2008, Phillips said he centered his focus on 500 athletes. As commissioner of the ACC, in following the lead of Swofford, he said he will have the safety and welfare of 9,000 athletes to consider.
“I just think the ACC represents what’s right in college sports,” Phillips said. “The ACC doesn’t play second fiddle to any conference in the country. ... We’re going to do everything we can to back those words up.”
Phillips has years of experience in various leagues and sections of the country, and in different positions of leadership. He has been at Arizona State and Tennessee, Notre Dame and Northern Illinois. He has chaired the NCAA Division I Council and served on the NCAA Board of Directors, and was named to chair the NCAA Division I basketball committee in 2021-22.
“The collegiate model is under siege right now,” he said. “This is a very important time for us to make sure we don’t lose what the collegiate model has been like.”
Phillips noted more than $3 billion is provided to college athletes, saying, “That’s worth saving.”
Leaving Chicago pizza for barbecue and sweet tea
Phillips was a strong candidate to replace Jim Delany as the Big Ten commissioner before the decision to hire Kevin Warren. Instead, he’s headed to the ACC to replace Swofford, who has been the ACC commissioner since 1997 and guided through through rewarding and challenging times.
“The gold standard of commissioners,” Phillips called Swofford. “Huge shoes to fill.”
Phillips plans to have a busy Saturday. He’ll be in Indianapolis to see Northwestern face Ohio State in the Big Ten Football Championship game, then said he would find the “biggest screen TV” in Indy to watch Clemson and Notre Dame face off in the ACC Championship game.
Packer and Durham couldn’t let go without some ribbing about leaving Chicago pizza behind and getting accustomed to North Carolina’s favorite food. Phillips smiled, saying he was more than ready for the cuisine change.
“I can’t wait for the barbecue, I can’t wait for the sweet tea,” he said.
