GREENSBORO, N.C. — After months of speculation following the departure of the ACC Headquarters in Greensboro, the conference is keeping its promise.
The ACC Championships for men's and women's basketball, swimming and diving, gymnastics, and women's golf will be held right here in Greensboro for the next five years. It will be a huge economic boost for Greensboro.
Just last year the men's and women’s ACC tournaments generated $21 million for our local economy.
Fans have been showing their excitement ever since the announcement.
Although ACC Headquarters remains in Charlotte, Greensboro is proud to be home to over a dozen tournaments for the next few years, something the community is looking forward to. Not to mention businesses are expecting an economic boost.
"We always put fans first and make sure that people have an unparalleled experience when they come to the City of Greensboro," City of Greensboro's Mayor Nancy Vaughn.
Thirty-three percent of all ACC tournaments are coming to Greensboro.
This comes after the conference made the move from Greensboro to Charlotte just last year with Greensboro turning back into the 'tournament town' it always was.
Several local businesses such as local sports bars and grills, 'House Divided' will see the impacts of this.
"Believe it or not, even though it's smaller than Raleigh and smaller than Charlotte, it is a big sports town," Kerwin Matthew said.
The owner of the restaurant, Kerwin Matthew is a North Carolina fan, while his wife is a Duke fan —hence the name 'house divided'.
He said more traffic to the city calls for more traffic to local businesses alike.
"A lot of them come here and be like, 'Oh yeah, my daughter is playing at Greensboro Coliseum and I just wanted something to eat so I came here,' "So yeah… it's definitely a good look for all businesses," Matthews continued.
For others, like local middle schooler Diego Anaya. This move has him thinking about the future.
"My hopes are to be in a college with a swimming scholarship," Anaya shared.
He looks forward to attending his first ACC basketball game in the years to come.
This decision has even been positive for those coming from out of state. Emma Tillett was in town Thursday night for a swimming tournament. She and her family are from Virginia.
"It's easier to get here and that's what you want, you want the excitement, the drive, you're already excited when you come to see the game, so when it's back in this area, with this complex, it's a good feeling," Tillett said.
Fun fact — no venue has hosted the ACC men's basketball tournament more than the Greensboro Coliseum, and 2027 will mark the 30th time.
While this is mostly good news, city leaders expressed some disappointment that the men's tournament won't be coming back to its roots in Greensboro in 2028; that's when the ACC will be celebrating 75 years as a conference.