Atlantic Coast Conference

The Atlantic Coast Conference (or ACC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA’s Division I-A that was formed in June 1953. Member institutions are located in the mid- and south-Atlantic coastal states of Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.

Charter members included Clemson, Duke, Maryland, North Carolina, North Carolina State, South Carolina, and Wake Forest. The seven charter members were formerly aligned with the Southern Conference. Virginia (then operating as an independent in intercollegiate sports) was admitted into the conference in December 1953.

The only former member of the ACC is South Carolina (1953-1971), which is now aligned with the Southeastern Conference.

Current members (and year joined)

• Clemson University (1953)
• Duke University (1953)
• Florida State University (1991)
• Georgia Tech (1978)
• University of Maryland (1953)
• University of North Carolina (1953)
• North Carolina State University (1953)
• University of Virginia (1953)
• Wake Forest University (1953)

Member schools participate in baseball, men's and women's basketball, field hockey, football, men's and women's golf, men's and women's lacrosse, women's rowing, men's and women's soccer, softball, men's and women's swimming, men's and women's tennis, indoor and outdoors track, cross country, women's volleyball, and wrestling.

Expansion of the ACC has been approved for the 2004 season, and will increase membership to 11 schools, with the University of Miami and Virginia Tech from the Big East Conference scheduled to join. Boston College is now expected to join in 2006, bringing the total to 12 schools.

External link

• Official ACC Athletic Site