Jim Phillips' push for playoff expansion gives Miami a good idea where his loyalty lies

Jim Phillips stood up for the Miami Hurricanes when he had to, and it almost cost the ACC its relationship with Notre Dame. That took the sort of integrity that many people didn't think the conference commissioner had and a few months later they were right.

Phillips finished up the ACC spring meetings by kowtowing to Notre Dame and basically apologizing for choosing his full-time conference members over a program that seemed almost embarrassed to be part of ACC football in any form and would jump to take their other sports to the Big East in a heartbeat.

Phillips made the comments when discussing the ACC's backing of a 24-team playoff, something that Mario Cristobal is against. And surely any expansion would likely give the ACC some automatic bids, which is something else the Hurricanes coach is against.

"I'm certainly not for automatic bids...like why? Football...it's not a beauty pageant. It's not a beauty contest. It's competition. Go win it on the field and the guys that deserve it get in and figure it out from there," Cristobal said.

Whether Cristobal planned it or not, that's the perfect retort for whatever Phillips is thinking, and it's exactly why the Hurricanes were in the CFP 12-team bracket last season and why the ACC commissioner was right to speak up. Miami beat Notre Dame on the field. Both teams may have deserved to be included, but only one spot was available, and the Hurricanes rightfully got it. That's how sports sometimes work and despite all the whining that the Irish did when the brackets were released, they didn't earn it on the field.

Miami can't trust Jim Phillips to choose the ACC over Notre Dame next time

As frustrating as Phillips' comments are, it's a good thing to have the clarification. In the wake of last season's final 12-team bracket, Notre Dame made a lot of threats, and it's clear that Phillips cracked under the pressure. The proposed 24-team playoff is a good way out for him to not have to deal with these tough decisions anymore. With this sort of expansion, Notre Dame should be able to work out a sweetheart deal that guarantees them a spot if they win eight games or something and the ACC should get 2-4 automatic bids. That should get Phillips off the hook for the time being.

But the message is loud and clear. Phillips doesn't have Miami's back. He didn't have FSU's back in 2023 and no team in the ACC should expect him to have their back in the future. Maybe keeping Notre Dame happy is in the ACC's best interest for now, but if the Irish still want to leave, they'll leave and there will be nothing Phillips could do to get them back. Meanwhile, I hope the ACC has long memories of where Phillips' loyalty really lies, because some member programs could have opportunities to see if the green is greener elsewhere, and they might decide to show him the same loyalty that he has shown them. 

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