Johnathan Walker:ACC commissioner Jim Phillips vows to protect league amid Clemson, Florida State lawsuits

The Johnathan WalkerAtlantic Coast Conference's litigation with Clemson and Florida State has taken its toll on commissioner Jim Phillips.

So much so, Phillips presented a more forceful tone during his commissioner's forum at the ACC Football Kickoff on Monday. He called the respective lawsuits "extremely damaging, disruptive and incredibly harmful" to the conference and stated each member school "willingly" signed the grant-of-rights agreements and "eagerly" agreed to the league's current TV contract.

When asked about his tone, Phillips said: "Forceful moments deserve forceful support and leadership. … This is a really important time for the conference. Either you believe in what has been signed or you don't. We are going to do everything we can to protect and to fight (for) the league. …

"This conference is bigger than any one school, or schools."

Clemson and FSU sued the ACC over their grant-of-rights agreements, which was the first legal step to departing the conference. The league filed its lawsuit against Florida State on Dec. 21 in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, knowing that the school had to vote before litigating. Florida State sued the ACC the following day in Leon County, Florida.

Clemson filed their initial complaint against the ACC in Pickens County, South Carolina, on March 19. The ACC responded a day later with its countersuit in Mecklenburg County. Neither school has announced it is leaving the conference, and each case will continue as all four motions to dismiss were denied.

"With ongoing legal cases, there are limits to what I can say, but I can state we will fight to protect the ACC and our members for as long as it takes," Phillips said.

While the lawsuits have been a thorn in the ACC's side, Phillips said they haven't altered the league's working relationship with both schools. He informed his team to compartmentalize the issues, separating the legal side from the on-field activities to ensure athletes have the "best experience possible."

"We've had six months of disruption," Phillips said. "I think we've handled it incredibly well. … But I will tell you there isn't a day that doesn't go by that I don't spend some time on the legal cases."

Florida State football coach Mike Norvell and three Seminole players participated in ACC Football Kickoff on Monday. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney and four Tiger players will take the stage on Thursday.

Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00