ACC Looking to Move Headquarters

[Acymetric]

If I missed discussion of this in another thread my apologies, but hadn't seen it mentioned. It isn't a huge surprise, but the ACC is officially exploring relocating their HQ out of Greensboro to another city. Charlotte seems like an obvious choice, along with D.C. and NYC (theoretically Atlanta could make sense but I'm not sure I see it).

https://www.newsobserver.com/sports/...255303941.html

Some of the reported criteria:

• Located within the Eastern Time zone (does that actually need to be a stated criteria?)
• Population size with positive growth trends
• Growth and diversity of population (feels like the same point twice)
• Access to a large hub airport with effective accessibility to and from all ACC member schools
• Anticipated benefit to the overall ACC brand and potential synergies to existing and prospective partners
• Financial considerations related to operational expenses (AKA tax breaks)

This was probably inevitable given the direction of college sports and the expansion of the ACC, but a huge change for people who have been around the ACC for a while. If you want to see an ACC game in Greensboro I recommend you start angling for 2023 ACC Tourney tickets now, I don't suspect the tournament will return to Greensboro after that (I could see maybe one more, depending on how long it takes for them to relocate, but I think the most likely thing is that they do a big 70th Anniversary celebration in 2023, talk a lot about how great Greensboro is and how important it is to ACC history/tradition, and then never come back again).

[CameronBornAndBred]

Regardless where they go, I think not being in a city where a school is located is important. So therefore ATL is ruled out in my opinion.

As far as Greensboro goes, I think they'll be back, and often. Look at capacity alone. GBO holds 23,500 people. That's 4k more than the Barclays Center in NYC, 3k more than the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, over 5k more than the Omni in Atlanta, and 3k more than the Cap Center in DC.

And it's still central in the conference. It ain't going away as a venue any time soon.

[uh_no]

Regardless where they go, I think not being in a city where a school is located is important. So therefore ATL is ruled out in my opinion.

As far as Greensboro goes, I think they'll be back, and often. Look at capacity alone. GBO holds 23,500 people. That's 4k more than the Barclays Center in NYC, 3k more than the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, over 5k more than the Omni in Atlanta, and 3k more than the Cap Center in DC.

And it's still central in the conference. It ain't going away as a venue any time soon.

I'm more on this side. The men's ACCT isn't the only thing the ACC deals with, and the location of the HQ doesn't, in the end, specific to one sport or one tournament.

More likely, the people running the conference don't want to be stuck in greensboro anymore.

[Bluedog]

If I missed discussion of this in another thread my apologies, but hadn't seen it mentioned. It isn't a huge surprise, but the ACC is officially exploring relocating their HQ out of Greensboro to another city. Charlotte seems like an obvious choice, along with D.C. and NYC (theoretically Atlanta could make sense but I'm not sure I see it).

https://www.newsobserver.com/sports/...255303941.html

Some of the reported criteria:

• Located within the Eastern Time zone (does that actually need to be a stated criteria?)
• Population size with positive growth trends
• Growth and diversity of population (feels like the same point twice)
• Access to a large hub airport with effective accessibility to and from all ACC member schools
• Anticipated benefit to the overall ACC brand and potential synergies to existing and prospective partners
• Financial considerations related to operational expenses (AKA tax breaks)

This was probably inevitable given the direction of college sports and the expansion of the ACC, but a huge change for people who have been around the ACC for a while. If you want to see an ACC game in Greensboro I recommend you start angling for 2023 ACC Tourney tickets now, I don't suspect the tournament will return to Greensboro after that (I could see maybe one more, depending on how long it takes for them to relocate, but I think the most likely thing is that they do a big 70th Anniversary celebration in 2023, talk a lot about how great Greensboro is and how important it is to ACC history/tradition, and then never come back again).

Thanks for starting the thread.

[*]Population size with positive growth trends[*]Growth and diversity of population (feels like the same point twice)

While maybe it hit on "growth" twice, the second one says diversity so it's hitting a different point. I guess the ACC will not be selecting Boise, ID as an example (massive growth, but not very diverse). Of course, Boise isn't an option for other reasons, but just giving an example.

[*]Access to a large hub airport with effective accessibility to and from all ACC member schools

Flights to Charlottesville, Blacksburg, Clemson, Winston-Salem, Syracuse don't seem that prevelant...But perhaps they have SOME airport or at least drivable from a more sizable airport.

/[*]Financial considerations related to operational expenses (AKA tax breals

Tax breaks sure, but I think it's also suggesting that having space/facilities in Manhattan/middle of Boston would be a much larger ongoing cost than somewhere else.

Does the ACC HQ really impact that much? How many employees actually work there? Just genuinely curious, not sure the answer.

[brevity]

Pretty sure John Swofford visited the Suggestion Box on his way out. "Y'all should move the ACC headquarters to Chapel Hill."

Meets most of the criteria, with the bonus of being right next door to the offices of all the sportswriters who cover the ACC, voting their preseason favorites and giving out postseason awards. Convenient!

[uh_no]

Does the ACC HQ really impact that much? How many employees actually work there? Just genuinely curious, not sure the answer.

I really think that when these guys want to meet, they'd rather do so in some big city than greensboro. Hell, if someone asked me whether I wanted to meet in NYC, Atlanta, DC, or Greensboro, I know which my last choice would be...

[Acymetric]

I'm more on this side. The men's ACCT isn't the only thing the ACC deals with, and the location of the HQ doesn't, in the end, specific to one sport or one tournament.

More likely, the people running the conference don't want to be stuck in greensboro anymore.

I think the old guard that values Greensboro is pretty much totally gone, and a lot of the non-NC schools have always hated it anyway. Once the office is no longer in Greensboro (meaning there is no tie between conference staff and the city) I'm not sure where pressure to keep having the game in Greensboro would come from. Bigger cities will have better marketing/sponsorship/partnership opportunities, and will look more "big time" (I suspect you can probably assume they are applying a similar list of criteria to their Tournament site selection).

As far as being back "often", the game is already not often held in Greensboro any more. I certainly wouldn't expect the frequency to increase after the HQ moves.

[CameronBornAndBred]

I really think that when these guys want to meet, they'd rather do so in some big city than greensboro. Hell, if someone asked me whether I wanted to meet in NYC, Atlanta, DC, or Greensboro, I know which my last choice would be...

But think of the selling point...
"Our traffic jams are shorter"

That's important stuff right there when landing at rush hour!

[uh_no]

I think the old guard that values Greensboro is pretty much totally gone, and a lot of the non-NC schools have always hated it anyway. Once the office is no longer in Greensboro (meaning there is no tie between conference staff and the city) I'm not sure where pressure to keep having the game in Greensboro would come from. Bigger cities will have better marketing/sponsorship/partnership opportunities, and will look more "big time" (I suspect you can probably assume they are applying a similar list of criteria to their Tournament site selection).

As far as being back "often", the game is already not often held in Greensboro any more. I certainly wouldn't expect the frequency to increase after the HQ moves.

I agree with this. I just disagree that the HQ moving is the main reason. The frequency it was held in greensboro was always going to trend lower post-expansion. The HQ moving is another consequence of the same expansion, but I don't think the HQ remaining would cause more tourneys to go there, nor do I think the HQ moving away will cause the tourney to go there less...it's happened/ing anyway.

Given that the ACC bones fans by making them buy whole books a-priori, It's no surprise it's a harder sell to get fans to sign up for that in greensboro than a big city. more interest = higher potential prices.

[CameronBornAndBred]

As far as being back "often", the game is already not often held in Greensboro any more. I certainly wouldn't expect the frequency to increase after the HQ moves.

I am not implying that it would be in GBO more, but I don't think it will be less. "Often", in the grand scheme of things, is once every few years and I think that will continue. The conference HAS to spread it of course, and every site they've been at besides GBO will continue to be utilized as good options.
But Greensboro isn't going away. (If they were smart they would start doing the same for the women's tourney, instead of having it there every year like they currently do.)

[Acymetric]

I agree with this. I just disagree that the HQ moving is the main reason. The frequency it was held in greensboro was always going to trend lower post-expansion. The HQ moving is another consequence of the same expansion, but I don't think the HQ remaining would cause more tourneys to go there, nor do I think the HQ moving away will cause the tourney to go there less...it's happened/ing anyway.

Given that the ACC bones fans by making them buy whole books a-priori, It's no surprise it's a harder sell to get fans to sign up for that in greensboro than a big city. more interest = higher potential prices.

I wouldn't say the HQ leaving is the main reason, we both agree that it was already heading that direction. I see it more like the final nail in the coffin. I don't think the ACC was going to completely remove Greensboro from the rotation as long as the headquarters was there. Moving the headquarters paves the way to remove it from the rotation entirely (and other than sentimental reasons, there isn't really a reason to have it there even though it is my​ preferred location).

[uh_no]

I wouldn't say the HQ leaving is the main reason, we both agree that it was already heading that direction. I see it more like the final nail in the coffin. I don't think the ACC was going to completely remove Greensboro from the rotation as long as the headquarters was there. Moving the headquarters paves the way to remove it from the rotation entirely (and other than sentimental reasons, there isn't really a reason to have it there even though it is my​ preferred location).

I'm sure there will be pressure from a certain group of 4 schools to keep it in the rotation.

[budwom]

Can the new city provide the topless car wash and multiple massage parlors as does Greensboro? Conferences are all about tradition.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

But think of the selling point...
"Our traffic jams are shorter"

That's important stuff right there when landing at rush hour!

I like living in Greensboro. Good housing, reasonable cost of living, good restaurants, the new Tanger Center for Performing Arts (like the DPAC, only newer). And joke as you may, but a bad traffic day in Greensboro is a 2 light cycle delay on Battlerground Avenue! Try saying that in Raleigh or Charlotte (or any of the other big cities)!

And were only an hour from RDU or two hours from the CLT airport. I much prefer to fly out of RDU than CLT, and PTI (Piedmont Triad International in Greensboro) is super convenient with no lines, just not enough flights.

[Acymetric]

I'm sure there will be pressure from a certain group of 4 schools to keep it in the rotation.

Do the schools strongly prefer Greensboro to Charlotte? I'm sure a lot of the fans (and maybe some key boosters) do, but the programs themselves? I'm sure that K would have opposed dropping Greensboro, but will Scheyer, or Nina, waste their "influence capital" on that?

[MarkD83]

I really think that when these guys want to meet, they'd rather do so in some big city than greensboro. Hell, if someone asked me whether I wanted to meet in NYC, Atlanta, DC, or Greensboro, I know which my last choice would be...

New York City?

[DU82]

Do the schools strongly prefer Greensboro to Charlotte? I'm sure a lot of the fans (and maybe some key boosters) do, but the programs themselves? I'm sure that K would have opposed dropping Greensboro, but will Scheyer, or Nina, waste their "influence capital" on that?

I’m guessing there’s more direct flights from Miami, Boston, Louisville, Chicago/South Bend and Syracuse to CLT than PTI. That was one concern I read about.

[JetpackJesus]

New York City?

I really hope this is a Pace Picante Sauce reference.

[Acymetric]

I’m guessing there’s more direct flights from Miami, Boston, Louisville, Chicago/South Bend and Syracuse to CLT than PTI. That was one concern I read about.

Oh, absolutely. Greensboro is not an optimal place for a headquarters, no argument from me there.

[Tripping William]

Why do I have this nagging sense that Jim Boeheim is behind all of this??