Atlantic Coast Conference
| Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) | |
| Established: 1953 | |
| NCAA | Division I FBS |
|---|---|
| Members | 12 |
| Sports fielded | 23 (men's: 12; women's: 11) |
| Region | Atlantic Coast |
| Headquarters | Greensboro, NC |
| Commissioner | John Swofford (since 1997) |
| Website | http://www.theacc.com/ |
| Locations | |
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The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953, the ACC's twelve member universities compete in twenty sports in the NCAA's Division I. Football teams participate in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), the higher of two levels of Division I college football.
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History
- See also: ACC-Big East Realignment
Charter members of the ACC were Clemson, Duke, Maryland, North Carolina, North Carolina State, South Carolina, and Wake Forest. The seven ACC charter members had been aligned with the Southern Conference, but left primarily due to the league's ban on postseason play. After drafting a set of bylaws for the creation of a new league, they formally withdrew from the Southern Conference at the Spring Meeting on the morning of May 8, 1953. The bylaws were ratified and the ACC officially came into existence on June 14, 1953. On December 4, 1953, officials convened in Greensboro, North Carolina, and admitted Virginia into the conference.[1]
In 1971, the ACC lost a member in the University of South Carolina, now a member of the Southeastern Conference. The ACC operated with seven members until the addition of former Southeastern Conference member Georgia Tech from the Metro Conference on April 3, 1978. The addition of Florida State, also from the Metro Conference, on July 1, 1991, brought the total to nine. The ACC added three members from the Big East during the 2003 cycle of conference realignment: Miami and Virginia Tech joined on July 1, 2004, and Boston College joined on July 1, 2005, as the league's twelfth member and first from New England. The expansion was not without controversy, as Connecticut, Rutgers, Pittsburgh, and West Virginia (and, initially, Virginia Tech) filed lawsuits against the ACC and against Miami and Boston College for conspiring to weaken the Big East Conference.
Commissioners
| Name | Term |
|---|---|
| James H. Weaver | 1954-1970 |
| Robert James | 1971-1987 |
| Eugene F. Corrigan | 1987-1997 |
| John Swofford | 1997-present |
Members
| Institution | Nickname | Location | Founded | Joined ACC | School Type | Undergraduate Enrollment | Varsity Sports | NCAA Championships |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston College | Eagles | Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts | 1863 | 2005 | Private/Jesuit | 9,081 | 31 | 3 |
| Clemson University | Tigers | Clemson, South Carolina | 1889 | 1953 | Public | 14,172 | 19 | 3 |
| Duke University | Blue Devils | Durham, North Carolina | 1838 | 1953 | Private/Non-Sectarian | 6,244 | 26 | 9 |
| Florida State University | Seminoles | Tallahassee, Florida | 1851 | 1991 | Public | 32,525 | 17 | 7 |
| Georgia Tech | Yellow Jackets | Atlanta, Georgia | 1885 | 1979 | Public | 12,966 | 17 | 1 |
| University of Maryland | Terrapins | College Park, Maryland | 1856 | 1953 | Public | 25,857 | 27 | 22 |
| University of Miami | Hurricanes | Coral Gables, Florida | 1925 | 2004 | Private/Non-Sectarian | 10,379 | 15 | 5 |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | Tar Heels | Chapel Hill, North Carolina | 1789 | 1953 | Public | 17,628 | 28 | 33 |
| North Carolina State University | Wolfpack | Raleigh, North Carolina | 1887 | 1953 | Public | 23,730 | 25 | 2 |
| University of Virginia | Cavaliers | Charlottesville, Virginia | 1819 | 1953 | Public | 13,726 | 25 | 14 |
| Virginia Tech | Hokies | Blacksburg, Virginia | 1872 | 2004 | Public | 23,567 | 21 | 0 |
| Wake Forest University | Demon Deacons | Winston-Salem, North Carolina | 1834 | 1953 | Private/Non-Sectarian | 4,412 | 18 | 8 |
- In Division I FBS, football is the only sport for which the NCAA does not sponsor a championship. Championships sponsored by various third parties, such as the Bowl Championship Series and Associated Press are not included in the table.
Facilities
| School | Baseball Stadium | Capacity | Basketball Arena | Capacity | Football Stadium | Capacity | Soccer/Lacrosse Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston College | Shea Field | 1,000 | Conte Forum | 8,606 | Alumni Stadium | 44,500 | Newton Campus Soccer Field | 1,000 |
| Clemson | Doug Kingsmore Stadium | 6,500 | Littlejohn Coliseum | 10,000 | Memorial Stadium | 86,092 | Riggs Field | 6,500 |
| Duke | Jack Coombs Field | 2,000 | Cameron Indoor Stadium | 9,314 | Wallace Wade Stadium | 33,941 | Koskinen Stadium | 7,000 |
| Florida State | Dick Howser Stadium | 6,700 | Donald L. Tucker Center | 12,200 | Doak Campbell Stadium | 84,300 | Seminole Soccer Complex | 1,600 |
| Georgia Tech | Russ Chandler Stadium | 4,157 | Alexander Memorial Coliseum | 9,191 | Bobby Dodd Stadium | 55,000 | None | - |
| Maryland | Shipley Field | 2,500 | Comcast Center | 17,950 | Byrd Stadium | 51,500 | Ludwig Field | 6,500 |
| Miami | Mark Light Field | 5,000 | BankUnited Center | 7,900 | Dolphin Stadium | 76,500 | Cobb Stadium | 500 |
| North Carolina | Boshamer Stadium | 4,000+ | Dean Smith Center | 21,750 | Kenan Memorial Stadium | 60,000 | Fetzer Field | 5,025 |
| North Carolina State | Doak Field | 2,500 | RBC Center Reynolds Coliseum |
19,722 14,000 |
Carter-Finley Stadium | 60,000 | WakeMed Soccer Park Method Road Soccer Stadium |
7,130 3,000 |
| Virginia | Davenport Field | 2,924 | John Paul Jones Arena | 14,593 | Scott Stadium | 61,500 | Klöckner Stadium | 8,000 |
| Virginia Tech | English Field | 1,033 | Cassell Coliseum | 10,052 | Lane Stadium | 66,233 | Virginia Tech Lacrosse and Soccer Stadium | 2,500 |
| Wake Forest | Gene Hooks Stadium | 1,500 | Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum | 14,407 | BB&T Field | 31,500 | Spry Stadium | 3,000 |
Sports
Member universities compete in the following sports:
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Boston College plays ice hockey as a member of Hockey East.
Current Champions
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Baseball
- See also: ACC Baseball Tournament
National Championships
Wake Forest won the ACC's only national championship in 1955. Miami won four national championships (1982, 1985, 1999, 2001) prior to joining the ACC.
| School | College World Series |
Last CWS |
|---|---|---|
| Boston College | ||
| Clemson | 11 | 2006 |
| Duke | 3 | 1961 |
| Florida State† | 19 | 2008 |
| Georgia Tech | 3 | 2006 |
| Maryland | ||
| Miami‡ | 23 | 2008 |
| North Carolina | 7 | 2008 |
| NC State | ||
| Virginia | ||
| Virginia Tech | ||
| Wake Forest | 2 | 1955 |
- † Eight of Florida State's appearances came prior to joining the ACC.
- ‡ Twenty one of Miami's appearances came prior to joining the ACC.
Basketball
- See also: ACC Men's Basketball Tournament
History
Historically, the ACC has been considered one of the most successful conferences in men's basketball. The early roots of ACC basketball began primarily thanks to two men: Everett Case and Frank McGuire.
North Carolina State coach Everett Case had been a successful high school coach in Indiana who ironically accepted the Wolfpack's head coaching job at a time that the school decided to focus on competing in football with Duke University, then a national power in college football. Case's North Carolina State teams dominated the early years of the ACC with a modern, fast-paced style of play. He became the fastest college basketball coach to reach many 'games won' milestones.
Case eventually became known as the father of ACC basketball. Despite his success on the court, he may have been even a better promoter off the court. Case realized the need to sell his program and university. That is why he organized the funding and construction of Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh as the new home court for his team. At the time, Reynolds was the largest on-campus arena in America, and it was therefore used as the host site for many Southern Conference Tournaments, ACC Tournaments, and the Dixie Classic, an annual event involving the four ACC teams from North Carolina as well as four other prominent programs from across the nation. The Dixie Classic brought in huge revenues for all schools involved and soon became one of the premier sporting events in the south.
At North Carolina, Frank McGuire was hired as the men’s basketball coach to counter Case's personality, as well as the dominant success of his program. McGuire began recruiting in his home area of New York. McGuire knew that basketball was the major high school athletic event of the region, unlike football in the south. Case and McGuire literally invented a rivalry. Both men realized the benefits created through a rivalry between them. It brought more national attention to both of their programs and increased fan support on both sides. For this reason, they often exchanged verbal jabs at each other in public, while maintaining a secret working relationship in private.
In 1957, when McGuire’s North Carolina team won the national championship, an entrepreneur from Greensboro named Castleman D. Chesley noticed the popularity it generated. He developed a five-station television network which began broadcasting regular season ACC games the following season. From that point on, ACC basketball gained immense popularity.
The ACC has been home to many legendary coaches, including Terry Holland, Everett Case, Frank McGuire, Vic Bubas, Press Maravich, Dean Smith, Norm Sloan, Bones McKinney, Al Skinner, Lefty Driesell, Jim Valvano, Mike Krzyzewski, Bobby Cremins, Rick Barnes, Gary Williams, and Roy Williams.
Present Day Schedule
With the expansion to 12 teams in the 2004-2005 season, the ACC schedule could no longer accommodate a home-and-away series between every pair of teams each season. In the new scheduling model, each team is assigned two permanent partners and nine rotating partners over a three-year period. Teams play their permanent partners in a home-and-away series each year. The rotating partners are split into three groups: three teams who are played in a home-and-away series, three teams who are played at home, and three teams who are played on the road. The rotating partner groups are rotated over the three-year period.
The table below lists each school's two permanent scheduling partners.
| School | Partner 1 | Partner 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Boston College | Miami | Virginia Tech |
| Clemson | Georgia Tech | Florida State |
| Duke | North Carolina | Maryland |
| Florida State | Miami | Clemson |
| Georgia Tech | Clemson | Wake Forest |
| Maryland | Duke | Virginia |
| Miami | Boston College | Florida State |
| North Carolina | Duke | North Carolina State |
| North Carolina State | North Carolina | Wake Forest |
| Virginia | Virginia Tech | Maryland |
| Virginia Tech | Virginia | Boston College |
| Wake Forest | North Carolina State | Georgia Tech |
National Championships
Over the course of its existence, ACC schools have captured 10 NCAA championships. North Carolina has won four , Duke has won three, North Carolina State has won two, and Maryland has won one. In addition, 8 of the 12 members have advanced to the Final Four at least once.
In women's basketball, the ACC has won two national championships, with North Carolina and Maryland. In 2006, Duke, Maryland, and North Carolina all advanced to the Final Four, the first time a conference placed three teams in the women's Final Four. Both 2006 NCAA women's finalists were from the ACC, with Maryland defeating Duke for the title.
| School | Helms Athletic Foundation | Men's NCAA | Women's NCAA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duke | 1991, 1992, 2001 | ||
| Maryland | 2002 | 2006 | |
| North Carolina | 1924 | 1957, 1982, 1993, 2005 | 1994 |
| North Carolina State | 1974, 1983 |
- Italics denote championships won before the school joined the ACC.
Field Hockey
National Championships
The ACC has won 14 of the 28 NCAA Championships in field hockey.
| School | NCAA |
|---|---|
| Maryland | 1987, 1993, 1999, 2005, 2006, 2008 |
| North Carolina | 1989, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2007 |
| Wake Forest | 2002, 2003, 2004 |
Football
- See also: ACC Championship Game
Divisions
In 2005, the ACC began divisional play in football. Division leaders compete in a playoff game to determine the ACC championship. The inaugural Championship Game was played on December 3, 2005, in Jacksonville, Florida, at the stadium then known as Alltel Stadium, in which Florida State defeated Virginia Tech to capture their 12th championship since they joined the league in 1992. The 2008 ACC Championship Game will be played on December 6, 2008 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
This division structure leads to each team playing the following games:
- Five games within its division (one against each opponent)
- One game against a designated permanent rival from the other division (not necessarily the school's closest traditional rival, even within the conference)
- Two rotating games (one home, one away) against teams in the other division
In the table below, each column represents one division. Each team's designated permanent rival is listed immediately to the left or right in the other column.
| Atlantic Division | Coastal Division |
|---|---|
| Boston College | Virginia Tech |
| Clemson | Georgia Tech |
| Florida State | Miami |
| Maryland | Virginia |
| North Carolina State | North Carolina |
| Wake Forest | Duke |
Bowl Games
Within the Bowl Championship Series, the Orange Bowl serves as the home of the ACC champion against another BCS at-large selection unless the conference's champion is selected for the national championship game.
The other bowls pick ACC teams in the order listed. As of the 2006 season, the ACC championship game loser cannot fall below the Music City Bowl. Moreover, a bowl game can bypass a team in the selection process only if the two teams in question are within one game of each other in the overall ACC standings. This rule was instituted in response to concerns over the 2005 bowl season, in which Atlantic Division co-champion Boston College fell to the last-pick MPC Computers Bowl (now Humanitarian Bowl).
| Pick | Name | Location | Opposing Conference | Opposing Pick |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FedEx Orange Bowl | Miami Gardens, Florida | BCS | |
| 2 | Chick-fil-A Bowl | Atlanta, Georgia | SEC | 3/4/5 |
| 3 | Konica Minolta Gator Bowl | Jacksonville, Florida | Big 12 | 3 |
| Big East | 2 | |||
| Notre Dame | ||||
| 4 | Champs Sports Bowl | Orlando, Florida | Big Ten | 4/5 |
| 5 | Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl | Nashville, Tennessee | SEC | 6/7/8 |
| Navy | ||||
| 6 | Meineke Car Care Bowl | Charlotte, North Carolina | Big East | 3 |
| 7 | Emerald Bowl | San Francisco, California | Pac-10 | 4/5 |
| 8 | Roady's Humanitarian Bowl | Boise, Idaho | WAC | 1 |
| 9 | EagleBank Bowl | Washington, DC | Navy |
National Championships
Though the NCAA does not determine an official national champion for Division I FBS football, several ACC members have achieved a national championship through the Associated Press, the Coaches Poll, or the Bowl Championship Series.
| School | Helms Athletic Foundation | Associated Press | Coaches Poll | Bowl Championship Series |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clemson | 1981 | 1981 | ||
| Florida State | 1993, 1999 | 1993, 1999 | 1999 | |
| Georgia Tech | 1917, 1928, 1952 | 1990 | ||
| Maryland | 1953 | 1953 | ||
| Miami | 1983, 1987, 1989, 1991, 2001 |
1983, 1987, 1989, 2001 |
2001 |
- Italics denote championships won before the school joined the ACC.
Golf
National Championships
| School | Men's Team NCAA | Men's Individual NCAA | Women's Team NCAA | Women's Individual NCAA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clemson | 2003 | Charles Warren 1997 | ||
| Duke | 1999, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007 |
Candy Hannemann 2001, Virada Nirapathpongporn 2002, Anna Grzebian 2005 |
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| Georgia Tech | Watts Gunn 1927, Charles Yates 1934, Troy Matteson 2002 |
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| Miami | 1984 | Penny Hammel 1983 | ||
| North Carolina | Harvie Ward 1949, John Inman 1984 |
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| Virginia | Dixon Brooke 1940 | |||
| Wake Forest | 1974, 1975, 1986 | Curtis Strange 1974, Jay Haas 1975, Gary Hallberg 1979 |
- Italics denote championships won before the school joined the ACC.
Lacrosse
National Championships
Since 1971, when the first men's national champion was determined by the NCAA, the ACC has won 10 national championships. Virginia and North Carolina have won four national championships, and Maryland has won two. Women's lacrosse has only awarded a national championship since 1982, and the ACC has won more titles than any other conference. In all, the ACC has won 12 women's national championships: Maryland has won nine and Virginia has won three.
| School | Men's NCAA | Women's NCAA | AIAW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland | 1973, 1975 | 1986, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 |
1981 |
| North Carolina | 1981, 1982, 1986, 1991 |
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| Virginia | 1972, 1999, 2003, 2006 |
1991, 1993, 2004 |
- Italics denote championships before the sport was part of the ACC.
Soccer
National Championships
In men's soccer, the ACC has won 12 national championships, including 11 in the 24 seasons between 1984 and 2007. Five have been won by Virginia. The remaining seven have been won by Maryland (twice), Clemson (twice), Duke, North Carolina, and Wake Forest. During the 2007 season, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest advanced to the College Cup, the final four of men's soccer.
In women's soccer, North Carolina has won 18 of the 25 NCAA titles since the NCAA crowned its first champion, as well as the only Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) soccer championship in 1981. The Tar Heels have also won 18 of the 20 ACC tournaments, losing only to North Carolina State in 1988 and Virginia in 2004, both times by penalty kicks.
| School | Men's NCAA | Women's NCAA | AIAW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clemson | 1984, 1987 | ||
| Duke | 1986 | ||
| Maryland | 1968, 2005 | ||
| North Carolina | 2001 | 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2006 |
1981 |
| Virginia | 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994 |
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| Wake Forest | 2007 |
- Italics denote championships before the sport was part of the ACC.
See also
- ACC Athlete of the Year
- ACC Men's Basketball Player of the Year
- List of Atlantic Coast Conference football champions
- List of Atlantic Coast Conference men's basketball regular season champions
- List of Atlantic Coast Conference men's basketball tournament champions
- List of Atlantic Coast Conference rivalries
- List of Atlantic Coast Conference women's basketball regular season champions
- List of Atlantic Coast Conference women's basketball tournament champions
References
- ↑ http://www.theacc.com/this-is/acc-this-is.html Retrieved 2008-07-17.
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