ACC Basketball

ACC Basketball

Pilot coaches from the present day ACC are credited with the historical success of the conference. Two men, Everett Case and Frank McGuire, were coaches that encouraged rivalries between their respective colleges (North Carolina State and the University of North Carolina) which brought national attention to their basketball programs. These rivalries increased support from fans and made recruiting players easier.

Case and McGuire often made verbal public displays against each other, yet worked together secretly to develop more ways to increase support for ACC basketball. Basketball subsequently became so popular in the ACC region that a five station television network was developed specifically for the purpose of broadcasting regular season games. ACC basketball has generated a great deal of revenue for the member institutions, and is well known throughout the world of collegiate athletics.

The ACC has produced players that have gone on with much success as professionals such as Grant Hill and Michael Jordan. Many draftees into the NBA also come from the ACC. In 2007, six of the first round draft picks were players from ACC colleges a total of nine ACC players were drafted overall.

ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament

Just one year after the creation of the ACC conference, the tradition of the ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament was initiated. Much like other conference basketball tournaments, this is a single elimination contest with the winner automatically advancing to the NCAA tournament. It has taken place every year since 1954. The men’s teams from the University of North Carolina and Duke University have won the ACC Tournament an impressive 16 times each. These two teams are a dominating force behind the success of ACC basketball in conference and NCAA play.

ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament

Women’s teams appeared in 1978 for official ACC Tournament play. Money and interest was not as abundant for the women as it was for the men’s team. A mere 2,500 fans were drawn to the event. At the 30th annual ACC Tournament in 2007, over 60,000 fans were in attendance to watch, an obvious sign of the increasing support for women in sports. Women’s teams from the ACC go on often appear in the popular NCAA tournament. On one occasion in 2006, three of the four finalists in the running for the national championships were from the ACC (Duke, North Carolina, and Maryland). This feat has never been achieved by any other athletic conference.