GREENSBORO, N.C. — Wednesday was Media Day for the Atlantic Coast Conference. It took place in the city that will become the league's new headquarters.
In September, the ACC decided to move from Greensboro to Charlotte.
There have been mixed feelings about the decision. Greensboro city leaders said they never wanted to see an organization - that's been in the community for nearly 70 years - leave Tourney Town. ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips said it was time to make the switch.
"When you have to make that kind of call, it's never easy, but it's the right thing. It's the right moment. It's about the modernization of our conference. Our conference looks different than it has," Jim Phillips, ACC Commissioner, said.
Phillips credited Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan and other leaders for being understanding after Charlotte got the deal.
"I know that the city was disappointed, but I think they respected how we went about the process," Phillips said.
Guilford County Commissioner Skip Alston agrees. He said Greensboro is still part of the ACC family.
"You can expect someone who might want to change, and we accept that," said Alston.
The Greensboro Sports Foundation President Richard Beard said there's a long history between the ACC and its championship games in Greensboro, and that won't stop.
Greensboro has hosted, by far, the most ACC men's basketball tournaments - earning the city its nickname Tourney Town.
ACC Men's Basketball Tournaments by cities:
- Greensboro, NC: 28
- Raleigh, NC: 13
- Charlotte, NC: 13
- Atlanta, GA: 6
- Brooklyn, NY: 3
- Landover, MD: 3
- Washington D.C.: 2
- Tampa, FL: 1
"We have a lot to gain from this and we have championships coming back. We have an opportunity to find another name for the Greensboro Coliseum," Beard said.
This crossover - is helping Greensboro regain the focus on being a tournament town.
Beard said major sports announcements are coming soon.
As for the ACC, they said the relationship between the league and Greensboro will remain strong.
"The roots remain there. The affection remains there. Again, it was a process that I'm proud of how we've handled, and I am excited about coming to Charlotte and what that will mean for the ACC," Phillips said.
Phillips said the day-to-day operations will look the same for the ACC, but 50 employees will move to Charlotte. The official move of the headquarters will be in 2023.
Greensboro will host the ACC Men's Basketball Tournament for the 29th time when the event returns March 7-11, 2023.