New ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips deserves high early marks for being thorough.
Less than two months after settling into his Greensboro, N.C., office, Phillips has held individual meetings with 40-plus staffers at ACC headquarters and made on-site visits to five of the league's member schools.
Next up today is school No. 6: Florida State.
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Phillips, who was tabbed to replace longtime Commissioner John Swofford, is scheduled to meet in small gatherings with FSU student-athletes, head coaches from various sports and university administrators.
He also is going to meet individually with FSU President John Thrasher and athletics director David Coburn.
It has been a whirlwind first few months on the job for Phillips, who previously served as athletics director at Northwestern for nearly 13 years. His last day in Evanston, Ill., was Jan. 31, and he started with the ACC the very next day -- at first working remotely from Chicago.
In an effort to develop a stronger understanding of the ACC and the challenges facing the conference, Phillips set out to hold dozens of face-to-face meetings. His individual sessions with staff in Greensboro were recently completed, and he has made five trips to campuses in the conference.
Florida State is one of five trips he's making this week.
One of the most significant topics to be raised by administrators at FSU and other schools will undoubtedly be expressing the need for additional annual revenue from the conference. The ACC's annual payouts to league schools have been lagging behind other Power 5 conferences, and that gap is expected to widen in the coming years, particularly with the Southeastern Conference and Big Ten.
Phillips also is expected to tour some of FSU's facilities during his visit.
After making these visits, Phillips will preside over the ACC's annual spring meetings, which will be held virtually in a couple of weeks.
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