CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Jim Phillips has spent his five-plus-year tenure as Atlantic Coast Conference commissioner trying to generate more revenue for a league facing financial pressures even with yearly record hauls.For his league — and across the national landscape in the revenue-sharing era, for that matter — that has included more emphasis on corporate sponsorships.Finding event sponsors for naming rights. Securing deals for advertisements on conference TV networks. It’s all about looking for ways to sell those options and supplement the media rights payouts and earnings from postseason success that stand as core engines of the college financial system.And stacking every bit helps in a time when schools are allowed to pay athletes directly.“I don’t know if it’s pressure, but it’s the reality,” Phillips said Wednesday in an interview with The Associated Press during the league’s preseason football media days. “To me it’s the reality of this role and it’s reality of our league. We have to continue to find incremental dollars each and every year that continue to grow.”
ACC’s revenue grows while trailing the Big Ten and SECThat’s been a particular focus for Phillips, too, in dealing with a significant revenue gap behind the Big Ten and Southeastern Conference since his spring 2021 arrival.The league reported about $826.5 million in total revenue in tax filings covering the 2024-25 sports season, with schools earning a full distribution share getting an average of $47.1 million.
