Its a legitimate question for the new commissioner, he said. Count SEC Network host Paul Finebaum in the group who doesn't approve of Phillips so far. But first: Even as virus cases forced Virginia and Duke to withdraw from last weeks league basketball tournament, Phillips and conference leadership did not consider canceling the event at Greensboro Coliseum. Yet, he acknowledges, the neighborhood is fracturing. Its dying or, some might say, it is dead. Count ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips among them. 2004-2023 CBS Interactive. Its something thats really important for us, if were going to continue to not only maintain but elevate our programs. Jim Phillips had been Northwestern's athletic director since 2008 before being hired as ACC commissioner in December, assuming his post at the start of February. Evanston, IL 60201. And while I believe Trace Armstrong is someone on the Bears wish list, I dont think hes interested. Phillips is proud that his department didnt lose our compass academically and encouraged athletes to engage in community service and social justice matters. He was elected inaugural chair of the NCAA Division I Council in February 2015. He eschews any talk of pay-for-play as it would adversely impact Olympic sports. At $1.57 million, Phillips had the highest compensation in the Big Ten for the 2017-18 fiscal year. Its an uphill battle, for sure, and one that Phillips seemed foggy on in terms of key directives. He earned a masters degree in education at Arizona State University in 1992 while serving as a graduate assistant coach. The Northwestern senior put together a showing for the record books. Specifically, Phillips calls for a national NIL standard to avoid a patchwork of state laws that are incompatible with NCAA recruiting guidelines. He did not shut the door on. After more than 12 years at Northwestern, athletic director Jim Phillips is moving on. Ella Brockway, Assistant Sports EditorMay 15, 2018. 20, 2022, 12:22 p.m. Atlantic Coast Conference commissioner Jim. Projections show the Big Ten and SEC, in their new TV deals, as much as doubling the revenue generated by Phillipss ACC. Are there ways out of the Grant of Rights? (Mitchell Northam / Pittsburgh Sports Now) CHARLOTTE, N.C. As he spoke in clichs and metaphors, dancing . No. , This isnt about a pay-for-play system. VCU basketball took the most rewarding Tuesday night at the Siegel Center. The only athletic director ahead of Phillips in total salary is Notre Dame AD Jack Swarbrick, who earns a whopping $3.05 million dollars, nearly double Phillips total salary. On a hyper-local level within the ACC, Phillips was asked about the potential of Notre Dame joining the ACC as a football member. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, Kirby Smart States the Conditions Surrounding the Pandemic Left Him Burnt Out, partnership between the ACC and Pac-12 remains alive, SEC Media Days Begins Series of First for LSUs Kelly. This is where Phillips has chosen to lean heavily into the healthy and safety angle. You have to be willing to engage in administrative committees, you have to enjoy engaging with people, and you have to be nimble and innovative enough to be a deal-maker who people enjoy working with. For his part, however, Phillips believes there's genuine . This is about more than just new rules governing athlete compensation. Darn near anything would improve the model in place since 2013. "It remains my belief there's no better . Dec 14, 2020 The ACC has hired Northwestern athletic director Jim Phillips as its next commissioner, the league announced on Monday. Conference officials have long pointed toward this Septembers expiration of the current Disney-Comcast deal for potential resolution. The reaction to this @giglio_OG question from the woman in front of him is priceless pic.twitter.com/kVMyds7rT9. During this stretch, there was a clear emphasis on football-related content. How can the league bridge the revenue gap with the Big Ten and SEC? Why are we at eight? Phillips is known for his wariness when it comes to possible playoff expansions in college football until certain issues are addressed. Phillips continuously brought on the importance of Olympic sports, not just football and basketball. Too often, organizations handcuff their own abilities to expand philosophically and practically due to an adherence to outdated thinking about best fits. The Big Ten as a conference had the third-largest average total athletic director compensation at $938,923, the report showed. He is responsible for live event, studio programming, production and marketing for content across all of Fox's networks. (Given his frustrations with NIL, it doesnt seem like Phillips would be concerned with playoff expansion resulting in more unpaid work events for college football players.). This is a guy who is tasked with improving the ACCs financial status, not the overall health of football players. And the commissioner had a whole lot to say. The ACC is the Other 1, in arguably the third-best position but with a chasm separating it from the other two. He then took questions for another half hour. A 1990 graduate of the University of Illinois, Phillips started his career as a manager and student assistant in the Illinois athletic department. ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips believes the conference is still in a position of strength even after this year's college athletic shake-ups Jim Dedmon/USA TODAY NETWORK. Nebraskas Bill Moos ranks fourth in the Big Ten, and Michigan States Mark Hollis comes in at fifth in the conference. Here are the challenges he'll face", "James J. Phillips selected to be next ACC Commissioner", "In hiring Jim Phillips, the ACC broke with 70 years of tradition. He served as assistant athletics director with the Volunteers until 2000. (AP) Phillips arrives with . Further growth could enhance revenue, if the addition was right. James J. Phillips is an American college athletic administrator. Phillips describes college sports as a neighborhood, and for that neighborhood to be healthy, all of the homes must remain together. Phillips moved to the University of Notre Dame in 2000, where he served as associate director of athletics and senior associate director of athletics for external affairs. 2 min read. Teel: Exploring the ACC's future with new commissioner Jim Phillips. Existential worries over a new age of realignment cloud the intermediate and long-term future of the industry; moves that take place now will have a lasting impact. 6-keys: media/spln/collegefootball/reg/free/stories, at Phillips was the clubhouse leader last time until the Big Ten presidents made a left turn and picked Warren. It was all Zoom, and it was intense, Phillips said Monday. LISTENING TOUR: ACC Network's Wes Durham said Phillips "has had . Its a concept that, administrators say, threatens to debilitate the college Olympic sports model. Warren negotiated a new seven-year media rights deal with CBS, Fox and NBC that is valued at approximately $1.2 billion annually, so the new commissioner won't have to worry about that immediately upon taking control. Some might say that is quite valiant; others might say that is quite ignorant. He was hired as commissioner of the ACC in 2021, a role he currently still holds. The Wildcats feel-good sentiment is losing its luster down the stretch. Jim Phillips begins his new job as ACC commissioner in February. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. He then transitioned out of coaching and into athletics administration work at ASU in 1997. Enjoying TheOsceola? Name to watch: former Northwestern AD & current ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips. With Florida [NIL legislation taking effect] in July, its really paramount for us to get to a place we all can kind of agree, and Im optimistic we can.. Could GG Jackson flip from UNC commitment? We could use a couple of dunce caps in college football. 4-star RB Daylan Smothers sets decision date; will Hollywood come to the ACC? Gambling problem? There needs to be urgency in this. The information below applies to the data obtained for the 2022 contract season: To see the methodology behind this data, click here. Would love your thoughts, please comment. Keep in mind: the Big Ten is set to sign a new media rights deal worth $1 billion. Phillips believes a congressional ruling is the only acceptable route forward. The ACC voted against expansion last year, although Phillips says hes supportive of it if it can be done in a way thats safe for the sport. ACC Kickoff began today with commissioner Jim Phillips taking the podium, where he talked up the conference's success in 2021-22, some ACC Network thoughts, expanding the college football . Emmert, 68, who has been president of the NCAA since 2010, was paid a $2.9 million salary in the 2019-20 athletic season. This goes beyond just games; the league clearly wants more content, including live events, that it can build out as primetime events. Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez ranked third overall with a total compensation of $1.55 million, while Ohio States Gene Smith was listed as the seventh-highest paid at $1.42 million. I know it was difficult for them. Studio, One, the ACC, from a revenue standpoint, is far ahead of most other conferences, with the two obvious exceptions, Two, there are other metrics that show that the ACC is as strong as any conference in the country. More broadly from an administrative standpoint, Dr. Phillips has held several major leadership positions with NCAA groups, including being the inaugural chair of the Division I council from 2015 to 2017. 2 on the list with a total salary of $1.57 million. The most obvious candidate would be Notre Dame footballs international brand. By Michael Smith - Sports Business Journal staff writer . Don't be so sure of that.. According to research done by Navigate, the SEC and Big Ten are both expected to be paying each member school an average of over $85 million annually by 2026. "Serving Northwestern student-athletes, staff and the greater Wildcats family for the last 13 years has been the privilege of my professional life, Phillips said. Burke Magnus, ESPN television executive:Magnus is the president of programming and original content of ESPN, where one of his duties centers on rights acquisition and scheduling. The Power 5 and Group of 5 are now described by one administrator as the Big 2, Other 1 and Group of 7.. As ACC commissioner, Phillips joins the CFP management group, where the question of expanding the four-team field has hovered since the events 2014 debut. Good thing the ACCs new commissioner considers himself a people person.. It is floating like that balloon, off and away, never to be seen again.