Northwestern athletic director Jim Phillips will be the new commissioner of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Phillips will replace John Swofford, who has held the position since 1997 and announced over the summer that the 2020-21 academic year would be his last as ACC commissioner. He turned 72 earlier this month.
“Phillips brings more than 3 decades of experience in DI athletics, a track record of tremendous achievement, and a vision for the future of intercollegiate athletics,” the ACC posted on Twitter.
Phillips has been running the Northwestern athletic department since 2008.
The Wildcats’ football team will be playing in its second Big Ten Championship Game in three years on Saturday, and the men’s basketball team made the NCAA Tournament for the first time ever in 2017.
Phillips’ tenure in Evanston, Ill., also included significant facility upgrades, including construction of the $270 million Ryan Fieldhouse and Walter Athletics Center, and the $110 million renovation of Welsh-Ryan Arena.
Phillips served as athletic director at Northern Illinois for four years before he landed at Northwestern.
(Field Level Media)
