ACC commissioner Jim Phillips, heading a league beset by questions about its long-term future and facing questions and lawsuits over his leadership while at Northwestern, pitched an optimistic vision for the conference's future.
ON HULU AND THE WRAL APP ON YOUR TV OR STREAMING DEVICE. >> WELL, THE ACC KICKOFF IS IN FULL SWING AS PLAYERS, COACHES AND FANS ALL LOOK AHEAD TO THE 2023 SEASON. WRAL SPORTS REPORTER PAT WELTER JOINING US LIVE. HE'S IN CHARLOTTE WITH THAT. THE MAIN MESSAGE WE'RE GETTING FROM TODAY'S LEADERS, WHAT WHAT ARE THE TONE IS PACKED. THEN THE MESSAGE WE'RE GETTING IS THAT THE CONFERENCE IS HEALTHY. NOW WITH A VIEW BELIEVE THAT IS ANOTHER STORY BECAUSE SAYS HE'S A DISTANT 3RD IN REVENUE BEHIND THE BIG 10. >> THE SEC IS BASICALLY BEING HELD TOGETHER BY MEDIA RIGHTS JIM PHILLIPS, THINGS INITIATIVES ARE WORKING QUESTION IS WILL HE BE AROUND TO SEE HIM FOR IT? >> WITH COMMISSIONER JIM JONES. >> LAST JIM PHILLIPS HAD TO WORRY ABOUT WAS THE FUTURE OF THE CONFERENCE. NOW HE'S DEALING WITH HIS OWN. THIS IS A VERY DIFFICULT TIME FOR THE NORTHWESTERN COMMUNITY. AND MY HEART GOES OUT TO ANY PERSON WHO CARRIES THE BURDEN OF MISTREATMENT PHILLIPS ADDRESSING THE NORTHWESTERN HAZING LAWSUITS, WHICH NAMED HIM AS A DEFENDANT PHILLIPS'S NORTHWESTERN'S ATHLETIC DIRECTOR FROM 2008 TO 2020 WANT DURING MY 30 YEAR CAREERS IN COLLEGE ATHLETICS. MY HIGHEST PRIORITY HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF ALL STUDENT ATHLETES WAS UNDERSTANDABLY TIGHT LIPPED ABOUT THE LAWSUITS, BUT PLENTY TO SAY ABOUT THE NEED FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO REGULATE AN EYE OUT. WHEN YOU HAVE INTER AND INTRASTATE COMPETITION, YOU WANT FAIRNESS AND EVERYBODY PLAYING WITH THE SAME TYPES OF RULES. PLAYERS ARE LEAVING IF IT WASN'T FOR THE GRANT OF RIGHTS WITH ESPN. SO PROBLEM WITH THE SCHOOLS, UNC AND NC STATE AMONG THE 7 WHO HAVE EXPLORED IT. THE ACC IS A 30 TO 40 MILLION DOLLAR REVENUE GAP TO MAKE UP WITH THE SEC AND BIG 10 PHILLIPS BELIEVES THE NEW PERFORMANCE SPACE REVENUE MODEL AS EASE THE TENSION. >> THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT OUR CONFERENCE A STRONG AND I'M EXTREMELY BULLISH ABOUT OUR FUTURE TOGETHER. >> NOW, STARTING IN 2024 TEAMS TO MAKE THE POSTSEASON WILL GET A BIGGER SLICE OF THE REVENUE PIE BUT IT'S STILL NOT GOING TO LOOK LIKE THE CHECKS BEING CUTS TEAMS IN THE SEC IN THE BIG TENT. THOSE RESPONSE WE CHASING DOLLARS. WE CHASING SUCCESS. HE BELIEVES THERE'S A
