Jim Phillips: ACC expected to make decision on relocating headquarters in 3-4 weeks

Amid many other changes on the table, the ACC has taken a long look at relocating its conference headquarters this year. While a decision was initially promised months ago, it now appears things have started to move in the right direction again.

ACC commissioner Jim Phillips believes a final decision on potential headquarters relocation will be reached within the next three to four weeks, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch’s David Teel.

Last August, Jim Phillips sent a letter to the members of the ACC and the city of Greensboro, announcing that the conference would look into potentially moving their headquarters from the city where the league was initially founded in 1953. Phillips wrote that the ACC had a “fiduciary responsibility to ensure remaining headquartered in Greensboro is what is in the best long-term interests of the conference.”

Proposals for the cities interesting in hosting the league’s new headquarters were due in Nov. 2021 and they had expected to make decision by the end of March 2022. That decision has dragged on, however, as the 15 school presidents have looked to reach a consensus.

More about ACC relocation

Greensboro has been the conference’s home for 68 years and still remains under consideration as a finalist, according to previous reports, although two larger markets have emerged as the frontrunners. Charlotte, North Carolina, and Orlando, Florida have emerged as prime candidates which make sense.

When the conference began searching for its new headquarters Charlotte and Orlando were attractive because they had many of the qualities the conference was looking for: population size, growth and diversity, a large airport, synergies with existing and potential business partners, and the willingness to provide “financial considerations related to operational expenses.” Both cities also host bowl games with ACC teams.

Charlotte is in the middle of the conference’s geographic footprint, and they have also been the longtime host of the ACC football championship game. The city has also hosted the ACC men’s basketball tournament several times. Charlotte hosts football and basketball media events, too, with an ESPN studio which hosts ACC Network broadcasts located within the city.

Orlando has strong ESPN connections via Disney, which owns the sports broadcasting company and operates the ACC Network. Disney’s Wide World of Sports complex hosted the NBA’s pandemic playoff bubble and could serve as a potential host for future ACC championships. The city has also hosted the 2016 ACC football championship game.