Graham Neff addresses relationship with ACC, Jim Phillips amid ongoing lawsuit

In March, Clemson filed its lawsuit against the ACC. The university is challenging the conference’s grant of rights, and the suit is part of a push to potentially leave the league.

The Tigers’ football team will kick off the 2024 season next week against Georgia, but the legal battle with the ACC continues to be a major storyline. Commissioner Jim Phillips addressed the situation at ACC media days in July, and his comments garnered high praise from Clemson athletics director Graham Neff.

Speaking with reporters Wednesday, Neff declined to comment on where things stand with the lawsuit. But he gave credit to Phillips and the conference for how he handled questions about the situation at media days and said he feels others around the league have continued their support.

“Commissioner Phillips, I thought, had some really appropriate and shared perspective and comments at football media days in July about his lens on just the professional nature of the relationships and what his role is and what athletic directors’ roles are and my role is,” Neff said.

“We’re going to continue to act, and I couldn’t have felt more supported from his chair in the day-to-day and with my, certainly, colleagues around the ACC table, so to speak.”

Clemson, like Florida State, is challenging the ACC’s grant of rights – an agreement that gives conferences the right to broadcast all member schools’ home games for the duration of the media rights deal. The ACC’s grant of rights runs through 2026. Clemson, however, is seeking to clarify if the university controls its broadcast rights if it leaves the conference.

Neff said his message hasn’t changed throughout the process. Clemson is still a member of the ACC, but he noted the landscape is changing rapidly. That’s why the goal is to do what’s best for the school.

“I’ve been real consistent with our staff and our coaches and our student-athletes about the expectations for us to be great members of the conference we’re in,” Graham Neff said. “I know that’s been a message point of mine that I have been and will remain consistent on. That means big picture of how we’re positioning and strategizing for Clemson in a fluid, dynamic environment, but also day to day. How we compete and how we are professional in the settings and circles that we’re all in variously.

“The consistency – I guess I’m reciprocating maybe some of Commissioner Phillips’ comments on the professional nature of it. But also for us to continue to do what’s best for Clemson, which is shown by our strategy to be able to navigate in the changing landscape.”