The ACC might be content with moving its postseason basketball tournament around to different parts of its geographic footprint. But when it comes to its football championship game, the conference is staying put in Charlotte.
Commissioner John Swofford announced Thursday that the conference has agreed to a 10-year extension of its deal with the Charlotte Sports Foundation to hold its football title game at Bank of America Stadium.
The home of the NFL’s Carolina Panthers has hosted seven of the last eight ACC Championship Games, with the only interruption coming in 2017 as a result of North Carolina’s controversial HB2 “bathroom bill.”
The new extension will keep the game in Charlotte through the 2030 season.
“Charlotte has been a tremendous home for the ACC Football Championship Game and we’re pleased to announce the Queen City as our championship destination through 2030,” Swofford said in a statement. “With the outstanding efforts by the Charlotte Sports Foundation, Carolina Panthers and city of Charlotte, our game has grown into one of the premier sporting events in the country.”
Four of the previous seven ACC Championship Games have been sellouts at Bank of America Stadium, including last year’s game between Clemson and Miami, which drew a crowd of 74,372. Over the past eight years, the ACC ranks second among all conferences in attendance at its football championship games.
“The ACC, Charlotte and the Charlotte Sports Foundation have proven to have a wonderful partnership,” said. Johnny Harris, chairman of the board of directors of the Charlotte Sports Foundation. “The ACC has truly found a home in Charlotte.”
The ACC Championship Games in 2021-2030 will be held on the first Saturday in December.
