General

Greatness is …A Monumental Fall Semester for the ACC

Greatness is …A Monumental Fall Semester for the ACC
  • Four ACC teams win NCAA Titles, most of any conference
  • Eleven bowl-eligible teams, the most of all Power 5 conferences
  • Among the nation’s best in academic metrics - U.S. News and World Report Rankings and NCAA Graduation Success Ratings
  • Relocation of the office headquarters to Charlotte, North Carolina
  • Addition of three world-class institutions Cal, SMU and Stanford
  • Launch of a new brand campaign
 
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – The Atlantic Coast Conference continues to ACCOMPLISH GREATNESS with a monumental start to the 2023-24 academic year.
 
The 2023 fall season saw four different ACC teams win four NCAA Titles across the seven league-sponsored fall sports. The conference as a whole, also continued to rank among the nation’s best in both U.S. News and World Report Rankings and NCAA Graduation Success Ratings while making momentous changes to the league with the relocation of the office headquarters to Charlotte, North Carolina, the announcement of the addition of three world-class institutions in University of California (Cal), Southern Methodist University (SMU) and Stanford University and the launch of a new brand campaign.
 
“It has been another terrific season for the ACC, and we are so proud of the continued success of our amazing student-athletes, coaches, and programs,” said ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips, Ph.D. “The athletic and academic accomplishments by our member institutions are second-to-none, and we look forward to watching our winter and spring sports as they each strive for ACC and NCAA Championships.”

ACC teams finished 2022-23 with a league-record nine NCAA titles alongside 29 individual national championships. Combined with the seven national titles won in 2021-22, the league’s 16 team national championships during the last two academic years are a conference record and the most of any conference.
 
With the addition of the four new team national championships this fall season, which were all ACC Champions in their respective sports, the ACC has totaled 20 NCAA titles since 2021-22. The four national titles thus far this year are the most of any conference nationally, while the 20 total titles are the most NCAA titles among all conferences over the last three years. The next most NCAA Titles during that stretch is 17.

National Success:
ACC teams won NCAA championships this fall in the following sports:
  • Women’s Cross Country – NC State (three-straight NCAA Titles)
  • Field Hockey – North Carolina (two-straight, and five of last six NCAA Titles)
  • Women’s Soccer – Florida State (two of last three NCAA Titles)
  • Men’s Soccer – Clemson (two of last three NCAA Titles; three-straight NCAA Titles for ACC teams)
Additionally, five ACC teams joined the conference’s NCAA championship squads in reaching the national finals or semifinals during the fall season, also the most of any conference:
  • Virginia Field Hockey – NCAA Semifinals
  • Duke Field Hockey – NCAA Semifinals
  • Clemson Women’s Soccer – NCAA Semifinals
  • Notre Dame Men’s Soccer – NCAA Finals
  • Pitt Volleyball – NCAA Semifinals
ACC football has 11 bowl-eligible teams, the most of all Power 5 conferences, and four teams ranked in the final College Football Playoff Rankings – Florida State (No. 5), Louisville (No. 15), NC State (No. 18), and Clemson (No. 22).
 
Currently, in the league’s winter sports, the ACC has a combined 29 teams ranked in the top 25 across six sports, highlighted by eight teams ranked in the top 10:
  • Women’s Swimming & Diving – Virginia (No. 1), Louisville (No. 6), NC State (No. 8)
  • Men’s Swimming & Diving – NC State (No. 4)
  • Wrestling – NC State (No. 2)
  • Women’s Basketball – NC State (No. 3)
  • Men’s Fencing – Notre Dame (No. 1)
  • Women’s Fencing – Notre Dame (No. 2)
The ACC’s six ranked teams in the Associated Press Top 25 Women’s College Basketball Poll are tied for the most of any conference, while the four ranked teams in the men’s top-25 poll are the second-most of any conference.
 
ACC Makes Another Strong Showing in NCAA Graduation Success Rates (Release):
The ACC’s collective high level of academic success is again reflected in the most recent NCAA Graduation Success Rate (GSR) report. The ACC’s average graduation rate of 96 percent – up from 95 percent last year – is six points higher than this year's national average of 90 percent.
 
ACC Members Post Strong Showing in Annual U.S. News & World Report ‘Best Colleges’ Rankings (Release):
For the 17th consecutive year, the ACC led the way among Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) conferences in the “Best Colleges” rankings released by U.S. News & World Report.
  • The ACC has led the FBS conferences in the best average rank in each of the last 17 years.
  • The average rank of ACC schools is 54.9, which leads all FBS Conferences.
  • The ACC’s four schools among the top 30 of this year’s rankings were the most among peer conferences.
  • The ACC's eight schools ranked in the top 50 were the most among all FBS conferences.
  • The ACC’s 13-member schools among the top 70 were the most among all FBS conferences.
ACC Welcomes Three New Members (Release):
In September, the ACC Board of Directors admitted the University of California (Cal), Southern Methodist University (SMU) and Stanford University to the Atlantic Coast Conference. Cal, SMU and Stanford will join the ACC as full members with full voting participation effective July 1, 2024 (SMU) and August 2, 2024 (Stanford and Cal). The decision followed the submission of letters of application from all three institutions.

The additions of Cal, SMU and Stanford enhance and strengthen the ACC academically, athletically and financially as well as create a true national conference that spans coast to coast. The incoming universities enrich the league’s competitiveness in all sports and further demonstrate the ACC’s commitment to broad-based programs for both women and men. More than 2,200 student-athletes from Cal, SMU and Stanford will join the nearly 10,000 current ACC student-athletes competing at the highest level of intercollegiate athletics.
 
Atlantic Coast Conference Moves to Charlotte (Release):
The Atlantic Coast Conference officially announced its new home in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Tuesday, August 29, raising the conference flag and flags of all 15 member institutions at a ceremony at the new office headquarters, Legacy Union’s Bank of America Tower in Uptown Charlotte.

On September 20, 2022, the Atlantic Coast Conference Board of Directors, representing all 15 member institutions, announced that the conference office was relocating its headquarters to Charlotte in 2023. The unanimous decision completed a comprehensive review and assessment, under the direction of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee, to ensure that the conference office was best positioned for the future and changing dynamics of intercollegiate athletics.
 
ACC Unveils New Creative Campaign - “ACCOMPLISH GREATNESS” (Release):
ACCOMPLISH GREATNESS is a multi-part brand campaign highlighting the vast success of the ACC’s athletics and academics alike. The campaign was launched nationally with a football-focused spot ahead of the ACC’s official college football season kickoff on August 31, as well as two spots that celebrate all 28 of ACC’s sponsored sports and will continue to be highlighted throughout the 2023-24 academic and athletic year in ACC’s member school markets.
 
The campaign emphasizes the enduring success that ACC schools and student-athletes have and will continue to achieve as the conference looks to the future. Developed in partnership with sports, music, entertainment and culture company Wasserman and its creative agency Laundry Service, the campaign includes TV and radio spots, social media creative, digital media promotion and school-specific campaign design assets for each member school.
 
About the Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference, now in its 71st 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 28 NCAA sports – 15 for women and 13 for men – with member institutions located in 10 states. 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 @accsports on Instagram and @theACC on Twitter and on Facebook (facebook.com/theACC).