Jim Phillips: ACC will review tiebreaker policies after Duke left out of CFP

ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips said Wednesday the league will review its tiebreaker policies and the role of weekly College Football Playoff rankings after ACC champions, the Duke Blue Devils, were left out of the 12-team playoff field.

Phillips spoke about this at the SBJ Intercollegiate Athletics Forum, which is being held in Las Vegas this week. The current system was adopted in 2024, with input from the league’s coaches and athletic directors, when the league scrapped divisions and grew to 17 teams. The ACC’s tiebreakers are similar to those used by other leagues who have grown so large.

Phillips said the tiebreaker worked as written but created confusion as five teams finished 6-2 in league play.

“Who knew that we would get to the seventh tiebreaker with five teams that were 6-2?” Phillips said at the SBJ Forum, according to The Athletic. “The stars aligned in a way that nobody predicted.”

Duke beat No. 16 Virginia, 27-20, in overtime Saturday to clinch the ACC title in Charlotte, but the unranked Blue Devils were not among the five highest-ranked conference championships guaranteed automatic CFP bids. That opened the door for Sun Belt champion James Madison, marking the first CFP berth in Sun Belt history.

Phillips said looking at possible changes to the tiebreakers should not be interpreted as him taking away from Duke’s ACC championship.

“Nobody should throw shade on Duke,” he said. “Everybody had a chance to be part of that tiebreaker, and they played great. They won the league. Super happy for Duke. It worked out the way it’s supposed to work.”

Phillips said he advocated for Duke to make the CFP over James Madison. He cited the Blue Devils’ seven wins over Power 4 opponents and a top-20 victory.

“I was disappointed for Duke, but I understand.” Phillips said. “JMU had a great season.”

Phillips said he supports incorporating CFP rankings into conference tiebreakers nationwide, which he argued will standardize procedures and reduce confusion.

He also voiced concerns about ESPN’s weekly CFP rankings show and called it “incredibly disruptive” for teams.

“I understand why we do the shows, and that’s part of the agreement with ESPN, but it causes great anxiety throughout,” Phillips said. “And I think we have to find a better way moving forward as it relates to some of that pre-information... it just puts stress and friction early on. I don’t have a resolution for that, but it’s something we have to talk about and should talk about.”

Phillips also reiterated his support for further Playoff expansion. He said he is hopeful league commissioners and Notre Dame can reach an agreement before the Jan. 23 deadline to finalize the 2026 model.

This story was originally published December 10, 2025 at 4:37 PM.