ACC Baseball Tournament

The ACC Baseball Tournament is the conference championship tournament in baseball for the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). It is a two-group round-robin tournament with the winners of each group facing each other in a one-game match for the championship. The winner receives the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament.

History

The ACC has a history of odd formats for its baseball championship. Since 1973, the first year of the tournament, the format has changed five times. The current format is a two-group, four-team round robin tournament with the winner of each grouping playing in a winner-take-all championship game.

1973-78

See Example: 1976 ACC Baseball Tournament

For the first six seasons of the tournament, the ACC had seven members, resulting in a format where the #1 seed received a bye to play the winner of the #4 v #5 match-up. The first round of the tournament was single-elimination with the losers going home. After the first round, the remaining 4 teams played a traditional double-elimination-style tournament.

1979

Due to conflicts with exams, the ACC opted to not hold a tournament. Instead, the regular season winner Clemson was given the conference's automatic bid to the 1979 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament.

1980-2003

See Example: 1981 ACC Baseball Tournament

Beginning with the addition of Georgia Tech to the conference in 1980, the ACC began using a format closer to that of a true double-elimination tournament with a few exceptions.

• The winner of the Winner's Bracket Quarterfinal match (Game 12) would play the winner of either Quarterfinal match of the Loser's Bracket (Game 10 or 11). The decision of which teams faced each other was determined by whether or not they had already faced each other in the tournament.

From TheACC.com:

On Saturday (The Semifinals) of the ACC Baseball Tournament, the match-up between the four remaining teams is determined by previous opponents. If teams have played previously in the tournament, every attempt will be made to avoid a repeat match-up between teams, regardless of seed. If it is impossible to avoid a match-up that already occurred, then the determination is based on avoiding the most recent, current tournament match-up, regardless of seed. If no match-ups have occurred, the team left in the winners bracket will play the lowest seeded team from the losers bracket.

• If the winner of the Winner's Bracket Quarterfinal match (Game 12) loses in the Semifinal match (Game 13), that team will receive a bye and play the winner of the Finals match in a winner-take-all championship game.

1991-2003

With the introduction of Florida State into the ACC to bring the total teams to nine, the baseball tournament added a Play-In game where the bottom two teams in the conference regular season standings played in a winner-takes-all game for the 8th spot in the regular tournament.

2004

In 2004, the ACC began using a true eight-team double-elimination tournament with the bottom two teams in regular season conference play facing each other in a single-elimination game where the winner got the #8 spot in the regular tournament.

2005

In 2004, the conference expanded to 11 teams with the addition of Miami and Virginia Tech. Beginning with the 2005 Baseball Tournament, the tournament switched from a true eight-team double-elimination to two four-team double-elimination brackets with winner of each side playing in a winner-take-all championship game. The bottom four teams in conference play faced off in a single-elimination bracket, with the winner earning the #8 spot in the tournament.

2006

In 2005, Boston College joined the conference, bringing the total number of members to 12. Instead of adjusting the tournament yet again, the tournament would remain the same format as was developed in 2005, but the ACC eliminated the play-in round.

2007-Present

See Example: 2007 ACC Baseball Tournament

Beginning in 2007, the ACC developed a new tournament format that eliminated the brackets altogether. This new format is a two-group, four-team round robin tournament with the winner of each grouping playing in a winner-take-all championship game. Only the top eight teams in the regular season conference standings are invited to play in the tournament. On July 6, 2009, the Atlantic Coast Conference announced a decision to move three future baseball tournaments out of Myrtle Beach, citing miscommunications with the NAACP concerning the display of the Confederate flag in South Carolina. (Charlotte is included in the NAACP Boycott because Knights Stadium is in York County, South Carolina, less than five kilometres from the state line.)^[1]

Champions

By Year

By School

See also

• Atlantic Coast Conference

External links

• TheACC.com Baseball Page (Official Site)
• 2007 ACC Baseball Media Guide - History, Statistics, Misc. Information

References