State of NC would pay $15 million to move ACC headquarters to Charlotte

By Jerry Ratcliffe

Charlotte could be the future home of the ACC’s headquarters. (Photo: Wikipedia)

According to a report by WRAL television in Raleigh, the state of North Carolina may give the Atlantic Coast Conference $15 million if it keeps its headquarters in the state for at least the next 15 years.

The conference is considering moving its headquarters out of Greensboro and relocating to Charlotte or possibly Orlando, Fla. Greensboro, which has served as home of the ACC since its inception in the early 1950s, is fighting to keep the headquarters.

Charlotte has hosted the ACC football championship game 11 of the last 12 years after it moved there from Jacksonville, Fla.  Charlotte also hosts the league’s football and basketball preseason media days and has hosted the ACC basketball tournament and baseball championships. ESPN also has a hub in Charlotte, home of the ACC Network.

Meanwhile, Orlando has absolutely no ties to the ACC.

In order to qualify for the $15 million from the state of North Carolina, the ACC would have to agree to conduct four men’s basketball tournaments in the state (including at least two in Greensboro), four women’s tournaments in the state, four baseball postseason tournaments and 20 other postseason tournaments by 2034.

Next season’s ACC men’s basketball tournament is scheduled for Greensboro.

“We just want to make sure that we keep it here,” Rep. Jason Saine of Lincoln County told WRAL. “You grow up in the state; one, it’s sentimental, but two, from an economic development standpoint from what we attract as far as future tournaments and where they’re going to be played, if they’re headquartered in this state, we’re far better off. Hate to get competing between two cities, but the reality is some cities have more of what [the ACC] needs right now.”