CHARLOTTE, N.C. \u2014 Over the past few weeks, commissioners of college athletics\u2019 top conferences have stood at podiums hundreds of miles apart with a similar goal in mind.<\/p>\n
As the landscape of college sports continues to change \u2014 particularly when it comes to additional adjustments to college football\u2019s postseason format \u2014 commissioners of the top four conferences (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC) have made their stances clearly known.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday in Charlotte, it was ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips\u2019<\/a> turn.<\/p>\n \u201cWe may not always agree, and at certain points we have had some strong disagreements, but we all recognize the importance of coming together to find a solution that is truly best for all of college football,\u201d Phillips said. \u201cFairness and access are paramount, just as they are in all other college sports postseasons.\u201d<\/p>\n Sports Roundup<\/p>\n Related:How the ACC is cracking down on sports betting, court storming with policy changes<\/a><\/p>\n At his conference\u2019s media days in Charlotte, N.C.<\/a>, Phillips praised what he called a successful first year for the 12-team College Football Playoff. The commissioner saw two teams from his conference \u2014 SMU<\/a> and Clemson \u2014 earn spots in the 12-team field, even though many in the college football world felt back in December that the ACC was deserving of just a single bid.<\/p>\n Since that 12-team field was set, and both ACC teams were eliminated not long after, there have been some changes. This spring, the playoff adjusted its seeding policy so that the four highest-ranked conference champions no longer receive an automatic bye. Instead, the 12-team bracket will be seeded based on the final rankings by the selection committee with the four highest-ranked teams securing highly-coveted byes.<\/p>\n Phillips said Tuesday that change was \u201cabsolutely in the best interest of college football.\u201d As a unanimous decision, others clearly felt similarly.<\/p>\n However, commissioners across college athletics still aren\u2019t satisfied.<\/p>\n The Big Ten and SEC are pushing for 16-team playoff formats<\/a>, where some iterations would grant more automatic qualifiers to the SEC and Big Ten than the other conferences.<\/p>\n The ACC and Big 12 have strongly opposed that unbalanced model, and Phillips said Tuesday that he wants an equitable format, even if it includes expansion.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have a really good playoff right now. It\u2019s the five and seven model,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m open to 5-9 and 5-11. I always look to our championships to try to have as much access as possible within reason. It has to make sense.<\/p>\n \u201cI want to stay committed to access and fairness to all of college football, not only the ACC.\u201d<\/p>\n Beyond 2026\u2019s playoff, the future of the tournament is uncertain. After going 2-11 in postseason bowl games, Phillips acknowledged his conference needs to be better to maintain its spot among the sport\u2019s best, especially at a time when his counterparts are eager to gain any leverage they can.<\/p>\n On X\/Twitter: @Lassimak<\/a><\/p>\n How the ACC is cracking down on sports betting, court storming with policy changes<\/a>College football coaches weigh in on revenue sharing: \u2018Someone is going to get punished\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n Find more SMU coverage from The Dallas Morning News here<\/a>.<\/p>\n