Atlantic Coast Conference

Atlantic Coast Conference. The Atlantic Coast Conference is a premier collegiate athletic conference competing at the NCAA Division I level, renowned for its historic strength in college basketball and its competitive college football programs. Founded in 1953, it has grown from a regional alliance of Southern schools to a coast-to-coast league with a membership spanning from Massachusetts to California. The conference sponsors championships in 28 sports and its members have claimed numerous national championships.

History

The conference was established on May 8, 1953, when seven charter members—Clemson, Duke, Maryland, North Carolina, North Carolina State, South Carolina, and Wake Forest—withdrew from the Southern Conference. The Virginia joined later in 1953, solidifying the foundation. Early expansion included Georgia Tech in 1978 and the Florida State in 1991, marking significant shifts in its geographic and competitive footprint. The early 21st century saw major realignment, with the additions of Miami and Virginia Tech in 2004, Boston College in 2005, and the Pittsburgh, Syracuse, and Notre Dame (in all sports except football) in 2013. Further expansion brought in the Louisville that same year, and more recently, the California, SMU, and Stanford are scheduled to join in 2024.

Member schools

The conference will comprise 17 full member institutions beginning in the 2024-25 academic year. The current and future full members include Boston College, California, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami, North Carolina, NC State, Notre Dame (a full member except in football), Pittsburgh, SMU, Stanford, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Wake Forest. The Notre Dame maintains its football independence but plays a five-game schedule against conference opponents. The conference headquarters are located in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Sports sponsored

The conference sponsors competition in 28 sports, 14 for men and 14 for women. Prominent men's sports include college football, college basketball, baseball, soccer, lacrosse, and track and field. Leading women's sports are basketball, soccer, lacrosse, softball, volleyball, and swimming and diving. The conference is particularly dominant in college basketball, where its annual tournament is one of the most celebrated events in the sport, and in college baseball, where members like Florida State and Louisville are perennial contenders. It also has a strong tradition in college lacrosse and college soccer.

Conference championships

The conference awards championships in all sponsored sports, with the ACC men's basketball tournament standing as its most prestigious event, first held in 1954 in Raleigh, North Carolina. In football, the ACC Football Championship Game has been held annually since 2005, typically in Charlotte, North Carolina. Member schools have accumulated hundreds of NCAA team national championships across various sports, with North Carolina and Florida State among the leaders. Individual athletes from the conference have also won numerous NCAA individual championships and prestigious awards like the Heisman Trophy, John R. Wooden Award, and Hermann Trophy.

Facilities

Member institutions boast some of the most iconic venues in collegiate athletics. These include Kenan Memorial Stadium at North Carolina, Doak Campbell Stadium at Florida State, and Memorial Stadium at Clemson for football. Legendary basketball arenas are Cameron Indoor Stadium at Duke, the Dean Smith Center at North Carolina, and the Carrier Dome at Syracuse. Notable baseball parks include Boshamer Stadium and Dick Howser Stadium, while soccer and lacrosse are played in venues like Alumni Stadium and Klockner Stadium.

Media coverage

The conference's media rights are held by ESPN through a long-term agreement, with extensive coverage on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ACC Network, and ESPN+. The ACC Network, launched in 2019, is a dedicated linear channel and digital platform operated in partnership with ESPN. Football and basketball games are regularly featured in prime national television slots, and the ACC men's basketball tournament is broadcast nationally. The conference also has radio partnerships through the ACC Radio Network and its content is distributed via platforms like Raycom Sports.