Jim Phillips calls for earlier start to college football season

College football has undergone some significant changes in recent years and those changes are only going to continue as conference realignment begins to take place and the College Football Playoffs expand to 12 teams. Is an earlier start to college football season on the horizon?

ACC commissioner Jim Phillips believes that might be in the best interest of the sport at this point.

On Wednesday, The Athletic’s Nicole Auerbach reported on comments Phillips made to that effect.

ACC commissioner Jim Phillips says moving the college football season up to Week 0 is something "we really need to think about" with the expanded CFP and extra games.

That's going to be looked at for the new contract beginning in 2026.

— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) December 7, 2022

The prevalence of Week 0 games has already increased in recent years as programs continue to hunt for additional exposure opportunities and TV executives look to continue raking on one of the most popular sports in the American purview.

The College Football Playoff officially announced expansion to 12 teams starting in 2024 last week.

With more games on the back half of the schedule coming, the need to bump things forward will exist unless conference games are lopped off or the down time between the end of the regular season and conference championship games and the postseason shrinks.

Earlier start to college football season coming?

The new 12-team playoff format will begin in 2024, meaning if there are significant accompanying schedule changes in college football they’ll need to be discussed and adopted fairly soon.

Bill Hancock, the executive director of the College Football Playoff, released a statement when the 12-team model was made official last week.

“We’re delighted to be moving forward,” said Hancock, per the College Football Playoff. “When the board expanded the playoff beginning in 2026 and asked the CFP Management Committee to examine the feasibility of starting the new format earlier, the Management Committee went right to work. More teams and more access mean more excitement for fans, alumni, students and student-athletes.

“We appreciate the leaders of the six bowl games and the two future national championship game host cities for their cooperation. Everyone realized that this change is in the best interest of college football and pulled together to make it happen.”