ACC Commissioner John Swofford announced Wednesday afternoon that Washington, D.C.'s Verizon Center will serve as the host site for the ACC tournament in 2016.
It will mark the second time in conference history the tournament was played in our nation's capital. The Verizon Center—home to the NBA's Washington Wizards, NHL's Washington Capitals, WNBA's Washington Mystics and Georgetown men's basketball games—hosted the tournament in 2005.
“We are excited to bring the ACC Tournament back to the nation’s capital in 2016,” Swofford said in a press release. “Verizon Center is a tremendous showcase for our event, and the Washington, D.C. area is an appealing tourist destination for our member institutions, as well as the alumni and fans of our teams. We received a lot of positive feedback after our 2005 tournament in Washington, and we look forward to duplicating that success in 2016.”
Wednesday's announcement comes as a surprise for many across the conference. With the ACC's expansion to 15 teams for the 2013-14 academic year to include Syracuse, Pittsburgh and Notre Dame, some thought New York's Madison Square Garden was the conference's desired location for the ACC tournament. Swofford spoke in New York's Times Square when the three teams were introduced July 1 and noted the city's significance as a major presence in the ACC footprint.
The ACC's only team in the Washington D.C. metro area will be departing following this season. Maryland will leave the ACC for the Big Ten effective July 1, 2014, which is the same date that Louisville will join the ACC as a member in all sports.
The ACC tournament will be held in Greensboro, N.C., in 2014 and 2015.
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