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ACC Tournament

ACC moving baseball tournament out of S. Carolina, to Durham and Greensboro

Jul 6, 2009

GREENSBORO, N.C. – The ACC Baseball Championship will be held at NewBridge Bank Park in Greensboro, N.C. (2012), and the Durham Bulls Athletic Park (2011, 2013), the league announced Monday

The 2011-13 championships were originally awarded to Myrtle Beach. The ACC said it had agreed to hold the tournament in South Carolina with the stipulation that discussions be held, and agreements made, with all local and state organizations that had voiced concerns over the confederate flag being flown on the state grounds of the South Carolina State Capitol.

Since 2000, the conference has supported the NAACP’s statements concerning the flag issue and followed the NCAA’s policy of not holding pre-determined championships in the state of South Carolina, the ACC said. In 2005, the conference presidents agreed that the ACC would be willing to consider awarding league championships to venues in the state of South Carolina on a case-by-case basis, provided that the host-site proposal included a plan to work with the NAACP at the local and state levels to ensure a proper environment.

“Our baseball committee and institutional administrators awarded the championships to Myrtle Beach with the understanding that the event had the blessings of all parties within the state of South Carolina. It has become clear this was not the case,” stated ACC Commissioner John Swofford. “It’s unfortunate that this miscommunication occurred and since the original announcement, we have had productive conversations with members of the NAACP. In the end, given the conference’s commitment to diversity, equality and human rights, our institutions have determined that this change should be made.”

With the recent success of the 2009 ACC Baseball Championship in Durham and the announcement of the partnership with Greensboro to host the 2010 ACC Baseball Championship, the league has reached agreements for Durham to host the event in 2011 and 2013 with Greensboro hosting in 2012.

"We appreciate both Durham and Greensboro’s commitment to hosting future ACC Baseball Championships,” said Swofford. “The Durham Bulls Athletic Park and NewBridge Bank Park are both first-class facilities found in the heart of the ACC footprint. We feel fortunate that over the next four years, our teams will be able to complete for an ACC Title in two of the top-rated minor league parks in the country.”