ACC commish calls for NCAA basketball tournament expansion: 'The time is now'

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ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips is calling for an expansion of both the women's and men's NCAA basketball tournaments.

"The time is now," Phillips said Wednesday during the Atlantic Coast Conference's annual preseason basketball event.

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ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips chats during the football game between Notre Dame and North Carolina on Oct. 30, 2021, in South Bend, Indiana. (Matt Cashore-USA Today Sports)

Phillips has some tangible influence in any potential expansion because he is a member of the NCAA Division I Transformation Committee.

"The time is now as we’re looking at the overall structure of the NCAA, and one of their responsibilities has been championships. So, I’m in favor of looking at it, and I really would like us to expand," Phillips said.

ACC commissioner Jim Phillips answers a question during a news conference in Charlotte, North Carolina, on July 20, 2022. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

The NCAA basketball tournaments continue to be very popular, and Phillips even called them a "crown jewel." He wants to keep some of the tournaments' elements intact, such as the automatic qualifiers.

As far as changes go, Phillips wants a larger field for at-large berths.

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SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey has previously been on record about taking a "fresh look" at the structure of the NCAA men's and women's basketball tournaments.

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Phillips argued that expanding the at-large field for college basketball tournaments would create more