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ACC commissioner: Early CFP expansion not 'the right thing to do'

Justin Casterline / Getty Images Sport / Getty

The four-team College Football Playoff format should remain in place for now, according to ACC commissioner Jim Phillips.

Phillips met with media members Friday to discuss the CFP's expansion. The tournament's initial contract is set to expire in 2026.

"We're not opposed to expansion at some point," he told reporters, including The Athletic's Nicole Auerbach. "Right now, we don't feel like that's the right thing to do."

Phillips' comments come after the Pac-12 released a joint statement indicating that it would support "all of the six most-discussed expansion models that would allow for expansion to occur in time for the final two years of the current CFP agreement."

Eight- and 12-team models have been proposed. One 12-team model includes automatic qualification for all Power 5 conference champions and the highest-ranked Group of 5 champion - as well as six at-large bids.

"To the ACC, we don't have a College Football Playoff problem," added Phillips. "We have a college football and collegiate athletics slash NCAA problem."

He said the current four-team model is "the best thing we can do right now" and that commissioners should focus on introducing a new CFP model in 2026.

Phillips added that issues around student health and safety, season length, the transfer portal, and name, image, and likeness deals should all be addressed first.

Since the playoff's inception, the ACC has been represented by two different schools, with Clemson making six postseason appearances and Florida State making one appearance in 2014.

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