ACC basketball tournament likely won't include all teams in future, Phillips says
Posted October 25, 2023 9:51 a.m. EDT
Updated October 26, 2023 11:56 a.m. EDT
Charlotte, N.C. — An ACC men's basketball tournament without NC State? Or North Carolina? Or Duke?
It would be possible as the ACC moves forward with 18 teams under a plan favored by ACC commissioner Jim Phillips.
The 15-team ACC will add Cal, SMU and Stanford next summer. Phillips is not in favor of inviting all 18 teams to the men's and women's basketball tournaments. The league, as it has expanded from eight teams to its current membership, has always included all teams in its postseason basketball tournament by adding days and rounds.
"I don't know that we would invite 18 teams to an ACC men's or women's basketball championship," Phillips said at Wednesday's ACC Tipoff in Charlotte.
"I think you've got to earn your way to play in I think the most prestigious postseason basketball tournaments in the country, and if you don't get to a certain threshold, then you just don't make it that year."
The league does not include all members in its postseason baseball, softball or women's soccer events currently.
He told WRAL that the league should focus on 12-, 14- and 15-team formats. The league current has 15-team tournaments for men's and women's basketball.
"Tuesday through Saturday or Wednesday through Sunday, that's been a nice flow," Phillips said. "It's been a nice flow I think for the media. It's been a nice flow for our teams, for fans, our staff. I'm not overly interested in adding one additional day. But we'll listen to the membership and see what they have to say."
Coaches against smaller field
Several of the league's men's basketball coaches said they were opposed to such a move. Others said they hadn't yet thought through the logistics or consequences of not inviting every team.
"We should invite everybody," NC State coach Kevin Keatts said. He said upsets are what makes the NCAA Tournament so popular.
"Somehow I hope that we can figure out how to let everybody go, even if it means extending Tuesday one game or even adding a Monday to it," Keatts said. "That 18th team has the opportunity to upset someone where they start on a Friday, and Saturday night they're in a championship. I just think it makes for a great story."
Clemson coach Brad Brownell said he favors an expansive tournament.
"If you don't make the NCAA Tournament, your conference tournament is your chance," Brownell said. "So you'd be taking that away from some teams. It doesn't happen often where low-seeded teams win, but the fact that you kind of get that chance.
"I'm an old-school Indiana guy. I still wish we didn't have class systems and it was everybody got to be in the same tournament. That would be a little challenging. I understand probably there's a lot more behind it logistically and timing-wise. I probably would be for more teams than not, making sure that they get to participate."
Virginia Tech coach Mike Young said he would discuss the proposal with Phillips — and to argue for keeping all teams in the event. He said he understood the potential issue of adding a day to the event.
"I shudder at the thought of not taking every team to the ACC Tournament," Young said. "I think that's of critical importance."
Miami coach Jim Larranaga said he wants to evaluate it more before deciding what is best.
"The whole goal in March should be get to the dance," Larranaga said. "So we need to figure out what's the best way to get eight teams into the dance. Is it to have just eight teams make the (ACC) tournament? I'm not saying I'm for that. I'm saying I don't know."
ACC expansion decision
It was a divided membership that voted to expand in September. Clemson, Florida State and North Carolina voted against adding the western schools. NC State cast a pivotal vote in favor of expansion.
But Phillips, sounding more assertive and confident than in previous appearances, said there has been "zero" impact from the decision.
"We move forward," he said. "We move forward together. I don't feel any hangover by any of the schools that may not have been in favor of the expansion piece of it."
While Florida State and Clemson grumble about potentially leaving the conference, Phillips said the ACC has been responsive to membership demands for unequal revenue distribution through its "success initiative." The new schools will receive lesser money from the league's television contract with ESPN in order to fund some of that distribution. Phillips said some money from the expanded College Football Playoff will also be used.
"We've been proactive," he said. "The distribution of dollars with success initiative is part of what I'm hearing, and maybe a majority of what I'm hearing from some of the schools that have been vocal about it."
But largely Phillips framed the decision to add a western flank as a move designed to protect the long-term health of the league. The ACC and Big Ten have 18 members moving forward, while the SEC and Big 12 have 16.
If some ACC schools defect to the powerful (and rich) Big Ten and SEC, the move to 18 builds in some stability.
"We are a national conference. We've been a regional conference," Phillips said. "Two years ago would we have done this? Probably not, but times have changed, and you either get on the offensive or you don't."
The three remaining Power 5 schools all expanded before the ACC, though Phillips said the league spent hundreds and hundreds of hours discussing potential expansion options previously.
"Some of the vibes and some of the conversations we had with individual institutions, that became apparent that we needed to try to do something financially as well as protect the fortress," Phillips said.
"The league is healthy. At the end of the day, my job is to run the ACC and make sure it's healthy for the next 70 years as it has been the last 70 years. I cannot control individual feelings on campuses, but we have addressed head-on anything that our campuses have indicated. I feel great. I really do. I've never been more bullish. I can't say that I felt that way a year ago."
