ACC Championship Game explained

ACC Championship Game
Sport:College football
Conference:Atlantic Coast Conference
Current Stadium:Bank of America Stadium
Current Location:Charlotte, North Carolina
Years:2005–present
Most Recent:2023
Current Champion:Florida State Seminoles
Most Championships:Clemson (8)
Television:ABC/ESPN
Website:TheACC.com Football
Sponsors:Dr Pepper (2005–2018)
Subway (2021–2022)
All Stadiums:EverBank Field (2005–2007)
Raymond James Stadium (2008–2009)
Bank of America Stadium (2010–2015, 2017–present)
Camping World Stadium (2016)
All Locations:Jacksonville, Florida (2005–2007)
Tampa, Florida (2008–2009)
Charlotte, North Carolina (2010–2015, 2017–present)
Orlando, Florida (2016)

The ACC Championship Game is an annual American college football game held in early December by the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) each year to determine its football champion. From its inception in 2005 to 2019, and from 2021-2022, the game pit the champion of the Coastal Division against the champion of the Atlantic Division in a game that follows the conclusion of the regular season. The current champions are the Florida State Seminoles.

The Atlantic Division was represented by either Clemson or Florida State in twelve of fifteen years through 2019, including eleven straight from 2009 to 2019, and five straight by Clemson from 2015 to 2019. The Coastal Division was represented by either Georgia Tech or Virginia Tech for the first eight games from 2005 to 2012, but from 2013 to 2019 all seven Coastal teams each represented the division after Virginia won in 2019. North Carolina State and Syracuse have yet to make an appearance. Clemson in 2018 became the first team to win four consecutive ACC Championship Games, on the heels of FSU winning three straight.

The Atlantic Division winners went on to win the ACC Championship Game for nine consecutive years from 2011 to 2019, and are 11 - 5 in the game overall. The Coastal teams won four consecutive years from 2007 to 2010, but did not win again until 2021.

Starting from the 2023 season onwards, the game will instead pit the two ACC teams with the highest conference winning percentage against each other, with divisions being scrapped entirely.[1]

For the 2020 season, Notre Dame joined the ACC for conference play in football due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the ACC decided to use a division-less format for the game. Instead of representatives from two divisions, the two teams with the best conference records from a ten-game conference schedule earned a spot in the game.[2]

The ACC Championship Game is held at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina each year, after being held in Florida (Jacksonville and Tampa) for its first five years. It is to remain a permanent fixture in Charlotte through at least 2030.[3] The game's corporate sponsor was Dr Pepper from 2005 through the 2018 game.

History

Before the 2004 college football season, the Atlantic Coast Conference determined its champion via round-robin play during the course of the regular season and there was no conference championship game. In 2004, the Atlantic Coast conference added two teams—Virginia Tech and Miami—expanding the league to 11 teams. At the time, college football teams were limited by the NCAA to 11 regular-season games, three or four of which typically featured teams outside the home team's conference. Following the 2004 season, the league added a 12th team—Boston College—and became eligible to hold a championship game at the conclusion of the 2005 season.

The conference was divided into two divisions of six teams each. The team with the best conference record in each division is selected to participate in the championship game. In the inaugural championship game, which took place at the end of the 2005 college football season, the Florida State Seminoles defeated Virginia Tech 27–22 at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida. In the 2006 game, two other teams faced off as Georgia Tech played Wake Forest. Wake defeated Georgia Tech 9–6. For the 2007 game, Jacksonville was awarded a one-year extension as host, and the game remained in Jacksonville. Virginia Tech returned to the ACC Football Championship game and faced off against Boston College. Tech won the game, 30–16, and returned to the championship in 2008 to defeat Boston College again 30–12. In 2009, Georgia Tech defeated Clemson, 39–34, but was forced to vacate the ACC championship by the NCAA.

Following the 2007 game the Gator Bowl Committee—organizers of the ACC Football Championship game in Jacksonville—announced they would not seek another contract extension due to falling attendance. With Jacksonville's withdrawal from future site selection, the ACC selected Tampa, Florida and Charlotte, North Carolina as future sites of the game. The 2008 and 2009 games were held in Tampa, while the 2010 and 2011 games were held in Charlotte.

On June 28, 2022, the ACC announced that with the NCAA Division I Council ruling that conferences would no longer be required to maintain divisions in order to hold a conference championship, it would be eliminating its divisions for the 2023 season and onwards, opting instead for a 3-5-5 scheduling format instead. This means that the ACC Championship will no longer be determined by the two division winners, but will instead have the two teams with the highest conference winning percentage face each other.[4]

Conference expansion

In 1990, the eight-team Atlantic Coast Conference added Florida State to the league, creating a new nine-team ACC.[5] Though Florida State was the only school added to the conference, some league officials discussed offering one or more other schools—Navy, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, South Carolina, Miami, West Virginia, Boston College, Rutgers, or Virginia Tech—an offer to join the league.[6] For various reasons, however, no other team was extended an offer. Throughout the 1990s, the Atlantic Coast Conference remained at nine members. Ironically, South Carolina was a charter member of the ACC that left in 1971.

The nearby Southeastern Conference (SEC), which also encompasses college football teams in the American South, also expanded in 1990. Instead of adding one team, as did the ACC, the then 10-team SEC added two—the University of Arkansas[7] and the University of South Carolina.[8] The expansion made the SEC the first 12-school football conference and thus the first eligible to hold a conference championship game under NCAA rules (the first game was held in 1992).[9] The SEC enjoyed increased television ratings and revenue through the 1990s and by 2003 was earning over $100 million annually, with revenues shared out among member schools.[10]

Officials of other leagues took note of the financial boon that followed SEC expansion to twelve teams. Atlantic Coast Conference representatives began discussing expansion to twelve schools in the first years of the new century,[11] who began publicly pursuing the possibility of expansion anew in 2003. On May 13, 2003, representatives voted in favor of extending invitations to three schools. The only certain school was the University of Miami, while the other two spots were still being debated.[12] Initially, the league favored admitting Miami, Syracuse University, and Boston College.[13] After a month of debate, however, the ACC elected to extend formal invitations to Miami, Boston College, and Virginia Tech, which joined after initially being overlooked.[14] This came years after these schools were considered for ACC membership in the early 1990s but nothing had ever came to fruition. Pittsburgh and Syracuse would also eventually join the ACC after rejections in 1990 and 2003, becoming members in 2013.

Miami and Virginia Tech began official ACC play with the 2004 college football season.[15] After the league settled a lawsuit resulting from the departure of the three former Big East Conference teams,[16] Boston College began ACC play in the 2005 season.[17] With the league officially at 12 teams, it became eligible to hold a conference championship football game.

Site selection

Even before the announcement proclaiming the ACC's expansion to 12 teams, several cities and sports organizations were preparing bids to host the ACC Football Championship Game. The prospect of tens of thousands of visitors could provide a multimillion-dollar economic boost for a host city and region while requiring few, if any, additional facilities. One early contender was the city of Charlotte, North Carolina. Even before Virginia Tech, Miami, and Boston College were chosen as the ACC's picks to expand, Carolinas Stadium Corporation, the owner and operator of Charlotte's Ericsson Stadium (as it was called then) lobbied heavily for Charlotte's selection.[18] Other early options included Orlando, Tampa, Atlanta, and Jacksonville.[19] [20] [21]

Shortly after negotiations for the location of the game began during the spring of 2004, the ACC announced that it had signed a new, seven-year television contract with ABC and ESPN.[22] As part of the deal, the ACC would earn over $40 million in revenue a year in exchange for the networks' exclusive right to televise the ACC Football Championship Game along with several high-profile regular season games. Revenues would be divided among the 12 ACC member schools.[23]

In July 2004 the ACC began deliberations about which bid to accept.[24] On August 19, 2004, league officials announced that Jacksonville would host the game in 2005 and 2006. The league would then have the option to re-select Jacksonville for an additional one or two-year contract. Charlotte was the first runner-up in the competition.[25]

For its first three years, the championship game was held at EverBank Field (known as Alltel Stadium in 2005 and 2006 and Jacksonville Municipal Stadium in 2007). That contract expired after the 2007 season.[26] In December 2007, the ACC awarded the next four games to Tampa (first two) and Charlotte (next two). Raymond James Stadium was the venue for the Tampa games in 2008 and 2009, while the Bank of America Stadium provided the venue for the Charlotte games in 2010 and 2011.[27] Charlotte hosted the game again in 2012 and 2013. In February 2014 it was announced that Charlotte would continue to host the game through at least 2019.[28] However, in response to North Carolina's Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act (HB2), the ACC voted in September 2016 to move the 2016 championship out of North Carolina.[29]

Team selection

Following the absorption of Virginia Tech and Miami into the ACC, questions arose about how an 11-team league could fairly select participants in the conference championship game.[30] A divisional structure involving two six-team divisions competing for two championship-game slots would not be possible. In addition, the ACC could not continue to select its champion via round-robin play since there were now 11 teams and only seven or eight conference games available per team. Even the NCAA's addition of a 12th game to the regular season did little to relieve the conference's problem.[31] Prior to the 2004 college football season, the ACC requested a waiver to the NCAA's rule requiring conferences to have 12-plus teams before having a conference championship game. Before the season began, however, the NCAA rejected the ACC's application,[32] and the league had to use a semi-round-robin format to select a champion during the 2004 football season. After that season, the inclusion of Boston College as the ACC's 12th team solved the problem of enabling the ACC to have a championship football game.

On October 18, 2004, the ACC announced its new football structure with two divisions. Each six-team division plays a round-robin schedule within the division and a rotation of three conference games against teams from the opposing division. The two teams with the best conference records in each division earn places to the championship game.[33] In the event of a tie in records within one division, divisional records and the results of head-to-head games are considered.[34]

Also, in the games between the two divisions, each team has a permanent rival team that is played every year. Hence, every year, there are these football games: Georgia Tech vs. Clemson; North Carolina vs. North Carolina State; Louisville vs. Virginia; Syracuse vs. Pittsburgh; Duke vs. Wake Forest; Florida State vs. Miami; and Boston College vs. Virginia Tech.

On July 28, 2022, the ACC announced a revised football structure, eliminating divisions entirely, coming off the heels of the NCAA Division I Council's announcement that conferences no longer need to maintain divisions to hold a championship. Instead of a divisional structure where teams play a round-robin schedule within their division, it will instead move to a 3-5-5 format. Each team will have three designated permanent matchups, who they will face every year (mostly reserved for rivalry games such as North Carolina vs. North Carolina State, Virginia vs. Virginia Tech, and Florida State vs. Miami), along with two different 5-team rotations that swap every year, such that every team will have at least one home game and one away game against every other team in a four-year cycle. Under this format, the two ACC teams with the highest conference winning percentage will be eligible to play in the championship.[35]

Notre Dame joined the conference as a non-football member in 2014 and, while playing five ACC teams each season, is not eligible for the championship game.[36] However, for the 2020 season, Notre Dame joined the ACC for conference play and the ACC used a division-less format for the game, with the game contested by the two teams with the best conference records.[37]

Divisions

Atlantic Division

Coastal Division

Results

Below are the results from all ACC Championship Games played. The winning team appears in bold font, on a background of their primary team color. Rankings are from the AP Poll released prior to the game.

YearAtlantic DivisionCoastal Division SiteAttendanceMVP
2005style=22 272272,749Willie Reid, Florida State
2006style=16 9662,850Sam Swank, Wake Forest
200716style=6 3053,212Sean Glennon, Virginia Tech
200812style=25 3053,927 Tyrod Taylor, Virginia Tech
200934style=12 3944,897C. J. Spiller, Clemson
201033style=12 4472,379Tyrod Taylor, Virginia Tech
2011style=21 381073,675Tajh Boyd, Clemson
2012style=13 211564,778James Wilder Jr., Florida State
2013style=1 45767,694Jameis Winston, Florida State
2014style=2 373564,808Dalvin Cook, Florida State
2015style=1 453774,514Deshaun Watson, Clemson
2016style=3 4235Camping World Stadium • Orlando, FL50,628Deshaun Watson, Clemson
2017style=1 383Bank of America Stadium • Charlotte, NC74,372Kelly Bryant, Clemson
2018style=2 421067,784Travis Etienne, Clemson
2019style= 3 621766,810Tee Higgins, Clemson
Year
  1. 1 Seed
  1. 2 Seed
SiteAttendanceMVP
202010style=3 34Bank of America Stadium • Charlotte, NC5,240Trevor Lawrence, Clemson
YearAtlantic DivisionCoastal Division SiteAttendanceMVP
202121style=15 45Bank of America Stadium • Charlotte, NC57,856Erick Hallett, Pittsburgh
2022style= 9 391064,115Cade Klubnik, Clemson
Year
  1. 1 Seed
  1. 2 Seed
SiteAttendanceMVP
2023style=166Bank of America Stadium • Charlotte, NC62,314Lawrance Toafili, Florida State
Georgia Tech was forced to vacate their 2009 win due to NCAA violations.[38]
2020 game attendance capped due to the COVID-19 pandemic in North Carolina.

Results by team

AppearancesSchoolWins Losses Pct.Year(s) WonYear(s) Lost
9Clemson Tigers812011, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 20222009
6Florida State Seminoles512005, 2012, 2013, 2014, 20232010
6Virginia Tech Hokies332007, 2008, 20102005, 2011, 2016
4Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets32009†2006, 2012, 2014
2Wake Forest Demon Deacons1120062021
2Pittsburgh Panthers1120212018
2Boston College Eagles02 2007, 2008
2North Carolina Tar Heels02 2015, 2022
1Duke Blue Devils01 2013
1Miami Hurricanes01 2017
1Virginia Cavaliers01 2019
1Notre Dame Fighting Irish01 2020
1Louisville Cardinals01 2023

Common matchups

Matchups that have occurred more than once:

  1. of Times
Atlantic DivisionCoastal DivisionRecordYears Played
2Florida StateVirginia TechTied, 1–12005, 2010
2Boston CollegeVirginia TechVirginia Tech, 2–02007, 2008
2ClemsonVirginia TechClemson, 2–02011, 2016
2Florida StateGeorgia TechFlorida State, 2–02012, 2014
2ClemsonNorth CarolinaClemson, 2–02015, 2022

Game records

TeamRecord, Team vs. OpponentYear
Most points scored (one team)62, Clemson vs. Virginia2019
Most points scored (losing team)37, North Carolina vs. Clemson2015
Fewest points scored (winning team)9, Wake Forest vs. Georgia Tech2006
Fewest points scored3, Miami vs. Clemson2017
Most points scored (both teams)82, Clemson (45) vs. North Carolina (37)2015
Fewest points scored (both teams)15, Wake Forest (9) vs. Georgia Tech (6)2006
Most points scored in a half31, Clemson (both halves) vs. Virginia2019
Most points scored in a half (both teams)49, Florida State vs. Georgia Tech (1st half)2014
Largest margin of victory45, Clemson (62) vs. Virginia (17)2019
Smallest margin of victory2, Florida State (37) vs. Georgia Tech (35)2014
Total yards619, Clemson (408 passing, 211 rushing) vs. Virginia2019
Rushing yards333, Georgia Tech vs. Clemson2009
Passing yards408, Clemson vs. Virginia2019
First downs 33, Clemson vs. North Carolina2015
Fewest yards allowed200, Clemson vs. Pittsburgh (8 passing, 192 rushing)2018
Fewest rushing yards allowed41, Florida State vs. Virginia Tech2005
Fewest passing yards allowed8, Clemson vs. Pittsburgh2018
IndividualRecord, Player, Team vs. OpponentYear
All-purpose yards 420, Deshaun Watson, Clemson vs. North Carolina 2015
Touchdowns (all-purpose) 5, shared by:
Deshaun Watson, Clemson vs. North Carolina
Deshaun Watson, Clemson vs. Virginia Tech
 
2015
2016
Rushing yards 233, C. J. Spiller, Clemson vs. Georgia Tech 2009
Rushing touchdowns 4, C. J. Spiller, Clemson vs. Georgia Tech 2009
Passing yards 335, Marcus Vick, Virginia Tech vs. Florida State 2005
Passing touchdowns 4, Trevor Lawrence, Clemson vs. Virginia 2019
Receiving yards 182, Tee Higgins, Clemson vs. Virginia 2019
Receiving touchdowns 3, Tee Higgins, Clemson vs. Virginia 2019
Tackles 15, Jon Abbate, Wake Forest vs. Georgia Tech 2006
Sacks 3, Jeremiah Trotter JR vs. North Carolina  
2022
Interceptions 2, shared by:
Cordrea Tankersley, Clemson vs. Virginia Tech
Erick Hallett, Pittsburgh vs. Wake Forest
 
2016
2021
Long PlaysRecord, Player, Team vs. OpponentYear
Touchdown run 75, Travis Etienne, Clemson vs. Pittsburgh 2018
Touchdown pass 70, Demaryius Thomas from Joshua Nesbitt, Georgia Tech vs. Clemson 2009
Kickoff return 44, Kermit Whitfield, Florida State vs. Duke 2013
Punt return 83, Willie Reid, Florida State vs. Virginia Tech 2005
Interception return 98, Nate Wiggins, Clemson vs. North Carolina 2022
Fumble return 52, Jamie Silva, Boston College vs. Virginia Tech 2007
Punt 63, Will Spiers, Clemson vs. Pittsburgh 2018
Field goal 52, B.T. Potter, Clemson vs. North Carolina 2022
MiscellaneousRecord, Team vs. TeamYear
Game attendance 74,514, Clemson vs. North Carolina 2015
Source:[39]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: ACC football schedule: League approves 3-5-5 format with all teams in one division starting in 2023. CBS Sports. June 28, 2022 . June 28, 2022.
  2. Web site: ACC Unveils 2020 Football Schedule. theacc.com. August 6, 2020 .
  3. https://www.ajc.com/sports/acc-championship-game-remain-charlotte-through-2030-season/ctxJvB4W5k2X7eoVVxqNKP/ ACC Championship Game to remain in Charlotte through 2030 season
  4. Web site: ACC football schedule: League approves 3-5-5 format with all teams in one division starting in 2023. CBS Sports. June 28, 2022 . June 28, 2022.
  5. "FSU to Battle for ACC Titles." Wire and Staff Reports, Philadelphia Daily News. September 15, 1990. Page 45.
  6. "ACC Considers 10 in Expansion Plans." Dan Caesar, St. Louis Post-Dispatch. July 27, 1990. Page 2D.
  7. https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE0DB1E3AF932A05754C0A966958260 Arkansas Set to Join S.E.C.
  8. https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CEFDA1739F935A1575AC0A966958260 South Carolina Joins the S.E.C.
  9. http://www.secsports.com/index.php?change_well_id=9993&s About the Southeastern Conference
  10. http://www.centralohio.com/ohiostate/stories/20030708/football/611709.html ACC expansion doesn't concern members of SEC
  11. http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_137540.html Remote control: TV money a driving force for ACC expansion
  12. http://static.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/2003/0513/1553257.html ACC to ask Miami, two others to join conference
  13. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/college/news/2003/05/15/saving_bigeast_ap/ At Miami's Mercy
  14. http://www.hokiesports.com/wrestling/recaps/06272003aaa.html President Steger Regarding ACC Acceptance
  15. http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/5335884/ Miami, Virginia Tech quietly join ACC
  16. https://www.espn.com/college-sports/news/story?id=2052787 Conferences schedule games as part of settlement
  17. https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/09/AR2005080901685.html After Ugly Breakup, BC Hopes for Fast Start in ACC
  18. "Charlotte wants title game." David Scott, The Charlotte Observer. May 15, 2003. Page C3.
  19. http://www.fanblogs.com/acc/002921.php Nine cities vie for ACC Championship game
  20. http://www.theacc.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/051104aab.html ACC Looks for Title-Game Host
  21. "Tampa seeks to host ACC football championship". Doug Carlson, The Tampa Tribune. January 29, 2004. Accessed May 9, 2008.
  22. http://www.theacc.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/051204aaa.html ACC Reaches New Football Agreement With ABC Sports, ESPN
  23. http://www.theacc.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/051204aad.html Bigger League Means Bigger Money for Expanding ACC
  24. http://www.theacc.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/070104aaa.html ACC Sub-Committee Gathers For Site Selection Of 2005 ACC Football Championship Game
  25. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/football/ncaa/08/19/bc.fbc.accchampionship.ap/ Jacksonville to host ACC championship game
  26. Web site: Jacksonville to host 2007 ACC football title game. February 6, 2007. hokiesports.com.
  27. News: ACC Football Title Games to Tampa, Charlotte . WRAL.com . December 12, 2007 . December 12, 2007.
  28. News: ACC, Charlotte look ahead to even better things . theacc.com . February 28, 2014 . February 28, 2014.
  29. News: 'Historically bad:' ACC pulls championships from NC . . September 14, 2016.
  30. http://www.theacc.com/genrel/070203aaa.html Transcript of Tuesday's Press Conference
  31. https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/04/28/AR2005042801872.html College Football Gets 12th Game
  32. https://www.espn.com/college-football/news/story?id=1622429 Formatting league still up for discussion
  33. http://www.theacc.com/genrel/101804aaa.html ACC Unveils Future League Seal, Divisional Names
  34. http://www.theacc.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/082105aad.html Atlantic Coast Conference Football Divisional Tiebreaker
  35. Web site: ACC football schedule: League approves 3-5-5 format with all teams in one division starting in 2023. CBS Sports. June 28, 2022 . June 28, 2022.
  36. Web site: Notre Dame sets ACC schedule for 2014–16. Chip Patterson. CBSSports.com. December 20, 2013. April 28, 2014.
  37. Web site: ACC Unveils 2020 Football Schedule. theacc.com. August 6, 2020 .
  38. Web site: Dinich . Heather . Verdict on 2009 ACC title game: No winner – ACC Blog – ESPN . July 14, 2011 . Espn.go.com . 2012-11-28.
  39. Web site: 2021 ACC FB Media Guide . 137–138 . theacc.com . November 23, 2021.