It was a big deal that the ACC Tournament was held in Florida this year. If you didn’t know, there are some distinct ways to tell.
In May of 2006 we updated you on the sites of future Atlantic Coast Conference Tournaments in this entry.
2007 – Tampa, FL
2008 – Charlotte, NC
2009 – Atlanta, GA
2010 – Greensboro, NC
2011 – Greensboro, NC
2012 – Atlanta, GA
2013 – Greensboro, NC
2014 – Greensboro, NC
2015 – Greensboro, NC
(Thanks to the poster on AOL’s Fanhouse who was polite and gave us credit after they found that information on SFN. Now, if only they could teach message board posters that it is kosher to at least ‘tip the hat’ to websites that plant ideas for you).
Our previous entry touched upon some of the salient issues and conversations related to the Tournament – not the least of which is, ‘what role will Charlotte play in the future of the ACCT?’
A lot of fans seem to have a bias against Charlotte that rooted in an understandable Raleigh/Greensboro vs “The Big City” mentality (not to mention the city’s extreme UNC-CH Tarheel bias that is perpetuated by the embarassing local newspaper). But, if you haven’t been to “Uptown” Charlotte recently then you are truly missing out. With at least four new major buildings scheduled for completion before 2009 – including a Ritz-Carlton on Bank of America’s ‘side of the street’ – the Uptown area will continue to evolve into a vibrant and convenient centralized entertainment hub.
In our previous entry we voiced the following opinion:
(Unfortunately) Charlotte’s arena is too small. Way too small. ACC can’t afford to have the tournament in Charlotte’s new arena because of the negative impact to revenue based on the arena’s new size. It is really, really a shame because that thing would have been PERFECT to be a staple for the Tournament for years to come.
The Charlotte Observer expanded on the topic in this article today. I found it interesting and wanted to share. Fred Barakat’s comments seem to indicate that the reduced number of seats in the new Bobcats arena may not impair Charlotte’s chances at landing a future tournament. We shall see…
When Charlotte was awarded the 2008 ACC tournament, the bid was based on hosting the event in the larger 23,000-seat Charlotte Coliseum on Tyvola Road.
“A lot has changed since then,” Crum said.
Instead, the ACC tournament will be squeezed into an arena that meets the league’s 20,000-seat requirement — but barely. League and arena officials continue to look at ways to add seating to a building that holds approximately 19,000 in its standard basketball configuration.
Unlike Greensboro, which has more seats and a large hospitality area connected to its Coliseum, Charlotte will stage hospitality events in the Convention Center, a few blocks away from the new arena.
The seating capacity, which could nudge closer to 20,500, won’t necessarily keep the league from returning to Charlotte, ACC tournament manager Fred Barakat said.
“I think (Charlotte) is a fabulous opportunity for the conference to be in that beautiful building,” Barakat said. “It’s an urban setting with tremendous night life.
“There may be fewer seats, but there are other things you get out of going there. It’s not a bad idea to have fewer seats some years. In 2009, we go back to Atlanta where we have a lot more seats.”
The future of the ACC Tournament continues to be an interesting topic. The Charlotte Observer’s Blog added some final comments on the topic that should be read.
Before we leave the Tampa experience behind, it should be said again that taking the ACC tournament to Florida was a good thing, despite the grumbling that apparently rumbled through North Carolina much of last week.
