CHARLOTTE, N.C. – In conjunction with the 2022 Subway ACC Football Championship Game, the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and the College Football Playoff (CFP) Foundation have announced they are funding $75,000 in classroom resource projects in three local markets - Chapel Hill (home of Coastal Division Champion North Carolina), Clemson (home of Atlantic Division Champion Clemson) and Charlotte (host city of the ACC Title Game). The projects are designed to meet teachers' needs in area schools, including classroom supplies and mental health resources.
Additionally, during ACC FanFest, fans will be encouraged to visit the Extra Yard for Teachers bus activation to show support of educators by taking photos and saying thank you to teachers that made a positive difference in their life by signing the Great Teachers Change Lives gratitude board.
“It is an honor to partner with the CFP Foundation to recognize and provide support to the incredible individuals that dedicate their lives to the teaching profession,” said ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips, Ph.D. “The ACC continues to be a proud supporter of teachers and their commitment to education, as well as the endless time, energy and enthusiasm they bring to their respective schools, classrooms and students on a daily basis.”
“Championship games always bring communities together in celebration and it’s important that while we celebrate our teams, we also recognize the K-12 teachers that are supporting youth in the communities these institutions call home,” said CFP Foundation Executive Director Britton Banowsky. “The CFP Foundation is proud to work with the ACC to deliver classroom resources to the communities involved in this year’s championship game and know these projects will create a more positive learning experience.”
In addition to the classroom resource projects, the ACC has named 15 student-athletes as recipients of the 2022 Go Teach Dr Pepper Tuition Giveaway. Each will receive $2,500 on behalf of the CFP Foundation and Dr Pepper to assist in their continued pursuit of a degree or career in education. And in the coming weeks, one recipient will win the Grand Prize of an additional $10,000 in tuition support. The 15 student-athletes were chosen by campus representatives, and the Grand Prize winner will be selected by the ACC’s award committee.
The 15 ACC student-athlete recipients include:
Name, Institution, Sport, Major
Khristopher Banks, Boston College, Football, Transformative Education Studies
Kevin McNeal, Clemson, Football, Middle Level Education
Ryan Thompson, Duke, Men’s Cross Country/Track & Field, Public Policy
Gloria Muzito, Florida State, Swimming, Elementary Education
Allie Walker, Georgia Tech, Women’s Cross Country/Track & Field, Business, Concentration in Marketing
Katie Schneider, Louisville, Field Hockey, M.A.T - Early Education Program
Lauren Lusardi, Miami, Rowing, Elementary Education
Melissa Sconone, North Carolina, Women’s Lacrosse, Exercise Sport Science Major/ Coaching Education Minor
Gionna Quarzo, NC State, Women’s Cross Country/Track &Field, Elementary Education
Kathleen Morse, Notre Dame, Rowing, Alliance for Catholic Education
Christopher Maloney, Pittsburgh, Football, Master of Science in Health and Wellness Management
Peter Fiorini III, Syracuse, Men’s Lacrosse, Health & Physical Education
Chayce Chalmers, Virginia, Football, Youth & Social Innovation
Olivia Vergano, Virginia Tech, Women’s Lacrosse, Sports Media Analytics
Annaliese Bush, Wake Forest, Women’s Track & Field, Master’s in Education
The CFP Foundation and Dr Pepper are committed to growing the Go Teach initiative to place qualified teachers in classrooms across the nation. The CFP Foundation and Dr Pepper are awarding a collective $1.5 million in tuition to the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC conference partners to provide support and recognition for student-athletes majoring in education.
The conference also recognized teachers throughout its season-long “Tag A Teacher” social media campaign, which encouraged fans to tag their favorite educators on Facebook and Twitter. Each week of the regular season, one teacher nomination was selected at random to receive a $500 gift certificate for classroom resources or supplies.
Over the past seven years, the ACC, in conjunction with the College Football Playoff Foundation, has invested more than $1 million in the teaching profession.
About the ACC
The Atlantic Coast Conference, now in its 70th year of competition and 15 members strong, has long enjoyed the reputation as one of the strongest and most competitive intercollegiate conferences in the nation. ACC members Boston College, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami, North Carolina, NC State, Notre Dame, Pitt, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest continue to build upon the cornerstones on which the league was founded in 1953 with a consistent balance of academics, athletics and integrity. The ACC currently sponsors 27 NCAA sports – 14 for women and 13 for men – with member institutions located in 10 states. Women’s gymnastics will become the league’s 28th sponsored sport in the 2023-24 academic year. In August 2019, ESPN and the ACC partnered to launch ACC Network (ACCN), a 24/7 national network dedicated to ACC sports and league-wide original programming. For more information, visit
theACC.com and follow @theACC on Twitter and on Facebook (facebook.com/theACC).
About the College Football Playoff Foundation and Extra Yard for Teachers?
The College Football Playoff (CFP) Foundation is the 501(c)3 non-profit organization serving as the community engagement arm of the College Football Playoff and works in partnership with institutions of higher education, sports organizations, corporations and nonprofits to support educators and improve student outcomes. The purpose of the CFP Foundation lies in supporting PK-12 education by elevating the teaching profession. The CFP Foundation inspires and empowers educators by focusing its work in four areas: recognition, resources, recruitment and retention, and professional development. To learn more, visit cfp-foundation.org and follow Extra Yard for Teachers (@CFPExtraYard) on social media.