Should the ACC decide to move its headquarters out of Greensboro for the first time in its history, Charlotte is willing to become its new home.
In his first year on the job, ACC commissioner Jim Phillips has hired outside consulting firms to explore whether to keep the league office in Greensboro, its home since the league was founded in 1953.
While not in the business of poaching corporate offices from other N.C. cities, Charlotte officials are nevertheless open to a discussion should the league decide Greensboro no longer fits its needs.
“Charlotte is a top sports city for both college and professional sports fans, and we’re proud to be associated with the ACC and all of its member institutions,” City of Charlotte spokesman Cory Burkarth said in an email to The Charlotte Observer on Friday. “Charlotte is already a great city for the ACC and their fans because of our airport, transit system, hotels, hospitality scene, and the many fun experiences that are available in our city and region. We would love the opportunity to bring the ACC headquarters to Charlotte if the conference decides to leave Greensboro. We want the ACC to remain in North Carolina, but if the conference decides to leave Greensboro, then we absolutely want the ACC headquarters to come to Charlotte and stay in our great state.”
Charlotte’s stance is shared by Gov. Roy Cooper, a Nash County native and UNC-Chapel Hill graduate well versed in the ACC’s importance to the state.
“The ACC has a storied history and deep roots in North Carolina and the Governor believes that this great conference should continue to make its home in our state for years to come,” Cooper’s deputy communications director, Mary Scott Winstead, said Friday in an email to the News & Observer.
Charlotte is already a major stop on the league’s annual calendar. The ACC football championship game has been played at Bank of America Stadium every year since 2010, with the exception of 2016 when it was moved out of state in response to the controversial HB2 law. The ACC is contracted to play the game in Charlotte through 2030.
A spokesman for the Charlotte Sports Foundation declined to comment on a potential ACC move.
This story is developing and will be updated.