ACC considering new headquarters options outside Greensboro

The Gate City has been the conference's home office since its founding in 1953

ACC commissioner Jim Phillips addresses the media at the league's Basketball Tipoff media event in Charlotte earlier this month. (Matt Kelley / AP Photo)

GREENSBORO — The Atlantic Coast Conference says it is now looking at options for relocating its headquarters outside of its longtime home in Greensboro.

The league said Tuesday its Board of Directors will expand the evaluation process to include cities elsewhere. That comes roughly two weeks after commissioner Jim Phillips said the league was limiting its evaluation solely to Greensboro – where the league was founded in 1953 – in a first phase.

In a statement, board chair and Duke President Vincent E. Price said Greensboro “will be given thorough consideration” to remain home to the league headquarters “for years to come.” But the league’s statement also outlined criteria for interested potential cities such as being located in the Eastern time zone, access to a hub airport with accessibility to all league schools and financial considerations.

The ACC has hired the Newmark Group as independent consultant to lead the evaluation for a potential headquarters relocation. Newmark will present its analysis to the board upon completion.

Phillips, who took over for retiring John Swofford earlier this year, said the discussion is part of an overall assessment of the ACC’s structure that includes staffing along with the responsibilities and roles of the office.

“When we initiated these reviews in July, our goal was to take a comprehensive look at how and where we operate in the context of an ever-changing landscape,” Phillips said in the statement. “Newmark and Weiberg Consultants continue to provide us with the necessary, objective information to make decisions in the best interests of our conference, and we’re confident in their ongoing work.”