Where should the ACC tournament be held? Greensboro? Charlotte? We asked the coaches
As the ACC returns to Greensboro this week, it is committed to coming back two times in the next nine years thanks to the largesse of the state of North Carolina and the strings attached to the $15 million the legislature doled out to keep the conference office within these borders.
Next year’s basketball tournament is in Washington, but after that, things get a little hazy. The ACC has yet to announce any tournament sites beyond 2024, although commissioner Jim Phillips has indicated the sites currently in heavy rotation — Brooklyn, Charlotte, Greensboro, Washington — will continue to figure on a regular basis.
But there’s also an opportunity to go to new places — Boston, Orlando, Pittsburgh — or go back to some places not recently visited, like Atlanta and Tampa. (Not to mention playing at least the Tuesday games of the 75th tournament in 2028 at Reynolds Coliseum!)
Then there’s always the dream of going to Madison Square Garden, which the Big East has locked up through 2028 — although even ex-Big East loyalists like Syracuse’s Jim Boeheim have all but given up on that.
“It’s not relevant to me anymore,” Boeheim said.
As the league continues to debate, we asked the ACC’s basketball coaches where they’d like to see the tournament go in the future.
Earl Grant, Boston College
“In Brooklyn, obviously this past year, I thought it was amazing. And maybe it was amazing because I’m up in the Northeast, I’m kind of the outlier. Us and Syracuse, we’re up in the Northeast. It’s pretty easy to get there. And then I would say, Greensboro has all the history. When I was at Clemson, we always played in Greensboro. We played one year in Atlanta. I’m not 100 percent sure I have a place I would love to see it played at, but I just know Brooklyn was really, really good and then my experiences in Greensboro, just the history of that tournament in that building, there’s something special about that.”
Brad Brownell, Clemson
“I think Charlotte is really good. I know that’s convenient for us, but I think it’s a great city and they do a really good job with it. It makes sense because that’s where our conference office is now. That would be my thing. It’s not a novel idea.”
Leonard Hamilton, Florida State
“Every time it’s been in Atlanta, we played in the championship game. So selfishly, I’d love to have it in Atlanta. We played in both championship times both times it was there and won it one year. However, I like Atlanta because I think it’s a sports-minded city. You’ve got a big arena. It’s more of a neutral site than anywhere else except for Georgia Tech.”
Josh Pastner, Georgia Tech
“I haven’t been in DC and it hasn’t been here when I’ve been here in Atlanta, I know a lot of people have talked about Atlanta. I think Greensboro is great. It’s the heart of ACC country. I’m sure Atlanta is a good spot as well because you’ve got easy travel, you can get in and out. It’s the ACC so I think wherever you go the tournament’s going to be great but I know Greensboro is sort of the central mark of it. It’ll be interesting, with the league office going to Charlotte, if they get more involved there in Charlotte.”
Hubert Davis, North Carolina
“Whether it’s in Greensboro, Washington, D.C., Brooklyn, Atlanta, Charlotte – I like having the ACC tournament in a place we can just get on the bus and drive to, but that’s selfish reasons. Wherever the ACC tournament is held, it’s always an unbelievable and special tournament and an event and I’m humbled and thankful I’ve been able to be a part of it as a player and as a coach as well.”
Kevin Keatts, NC State
“I’ll make my pitch for Charlotte. I like Greensboro because it’s close to us and I have no problem with DC. To be quite honest, I have no problem wherever you go, especially if you’re seeded high enough and you’re in a good situation. But I think Charlotte is growing and it’s a good place for everybody to be able to go and enjoy themselves and be able to hang out and have great dinners and go to bars and go to the game.”
Jim Larranaga, Miami
“I’m from the Bronx. I love when we go to New York. I think our players and our fans love it too. It’s a great city to visit. The ACC tournament is always well received at the Barclays Center. I would love for us one of these years to go to Madison Square Garden, the Mecca of basketball. I don’t know if that will ever happen. I did like the year we went to Washington, D.C. I thought they accommodated us very well. And the ACC is a traditional league so keeping it in North Carolina, in Greensboro or Charlotte, is also a good option.”
Mike Brey, Notre Dame
“Charlotte is an amazing place and where it’s located, all I know is the parents of our players, the feedback about Charlotte was amazing. It was easy to get to, the restaurants, the hotels, if that’s going to become the headquarters of the ACC, do we rotate through there a little bit more? Now, I got the utmost respect for Greensboro and the history and tradition, but Charlotte is a great town. Atlanta is the SEC. Tampa doesn’t work, we tried that once before. DC is good. DC was good, we were there a couple years ago and that was good. And then you’ve got to rotate through Brooklyn. You’re not going to get the Garden, but you’ve got to go to New York. But Charlotte is just a great setup.”
Jeff Capel, Pittsburgh
“The place I don’t ever think we can get is Madison Square Garden. Other conferences have rights to that one. I think it’s been fine where it’s been, the places where it’s been, and I don’t have an opinion about where it should be. … I would love to have it in (Pittsburgh). This would be a great place to have it. Because where the arena is, you have unbelievable restaurants, it’s a great city.”
Jim Boeheim, Syracuse
“I’ve liked the tournament everywhere. I think every city brings something different. I like all the places the tournament has been. They’ve been good sites.”
Tony Bennett, Virginia
“I always think Charlottesville would be a wonderful place for it. I’m sure everyone says their own place. We talked way back, I remember with coach Brey, we were hoping it would get to Madison Square Garden at some point. Barclays Center has been great to us. That’s been a good place. But that was always something – so much of this has to do with contracts, beyond me, and how long they’re tied up with other tournaments – but that was always a place (to go) because it was a mecca. Anywhere warm is good, too.”
Mike Young, Virginia Tech
“I’m kind of partial to Brooklyn, to be honest with you. I liked Barclays Center. I’m sure commissioner Phillips and those that make those decisions will get it right. Washington, it was there the year before I came to Virginia Tech and I think that’ll be a great place. I’m looking forward to that.”
Steve Forbes, Wake Forest
“Asheville, North Carolina, because I was at East Tennessee State for five years and went to the championship four years, so selfishly I think I played better in that building. Charlotte? I’m selfish. Let me get on a bus and go down there. It’s a great city. Obviously Greensboro’s awesome. I haven’t been to DC. Looking forward to that. And one time to Brooklyn. But I would say probably Charlotte would be the most logical choice for me.”
This story was originally published March 6, 2023 at 8:00 AM.
