People keep track of all sorts of basketball records, some more obscure than others. We of course care only about important records, VIP records, stats that deepen our understanding of the history, precedents, and trends that enliven the current season and illuminate ACC heritage. And here's one bit of perspective we're glad to share that you don't see all that often.
After all, leap year comes around only once every quadrennium.
And here we are.
Tomorrow is February 29, the extra day added under Roman emperor Julius Caesar "in order to keep the calendar year synchronized with the astronomical or seasonal year," according to Wikipedia. Oddly (or perhaps not) these intervals coincide with American presidential years.
So, since the start of the ACC in 1953-54, this is the 15th time it was possible for ACC teams to play on Feb. 29.
The extra opportunity was irrelevant during the league's early history. In fact this is only the eighth time ACC teams played on what amounts to Day No. 366.
Boston College and Miami are making their leap year debuts as ACC members.
Duke, which won't make another Feb. 29 appearance until at least 2016, has the most wins on the date since the advent of the conference (three). And N.C. State, which hosts the Hurricanes, is taking its seventh leap lap, more than any other team.
LEAPING TO CONCLUSIONS |
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Year | Contestants | Winner |
1964 | Virginia at Clemson | Clemson |
Duke at North Carolina | Duke | |
Maryland at South Carolina | South Carolina | |
N.C. State at Wake Forest | Wake Forest | |
1972 | North Carolina at N.C. State | N.C. State |
1980 | Maryland at Clemson (ACCT)* | Maryland |
Duke vs. North Carolina (ACCT)* | Duke | |
1984 | Clemson at Duke | Clemson |
North Carolina at Georgia Tech | North Carolina | |
N.C. State at Maryland | Maryland | |
Wake Forest at Virginia | Virginia | |
1988 | UNC-Asheville at N.C. State | N.C. State |
1992 | Clemson at Virginia | Virginia |
N.C. State at Georgia Tech | Georgia Tech | |
2004 | Duke at Florida State | Duke |
North Carolina at N.C. State | North Carolina | |
2012 | Maryland at North Carolina | |
Georgia Tech at Boston College | ||
Miami at N.C. State | ||
* ACC Tournament semifinal. BC 0-0; C 2-2; D 3-1; FS 0-1; GT 1-1; M 2-1; Mi 0-0; NC 2-3; NS 2-4; SC 1-0; V 2-1; WF 1-1 |