The ACC Is A Bid Happy League

In 1980 the NCAA began seeding the field in its tournament, the old Big East was founded, and Georgia Tech joined the ACC fold. Since then the ACC certainly has enjoyed more ups than downs in postseason play.

The current tournament begins as an up, with nearly 14 percent of the field occupied by ACC teams. Having nine entrants is both impressive and a simple function of a greater set of possibilities in a 15-team league.

In fact, nine teams comprises 60 percent of the league’s membership, representation matching last year’s and otherwise transcended 14 times in the last 39 seasons. The ACC reached the 75 percent level in 1986, 1987, 1989 and 1991. In three of those four years, Duke made the Final Four (not ’87).

The league dipped below 55.6 percent of its members in the NCAAs only once between 1980 and 1998 – 1995, when four teams tied for first at 12-4 during the regular season (Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia and Wake Forest) and no one else got in.

From 1998 through 2016 the ACC exceeded its present 60 percent representation only twice – in 2001 and 2004.

Note how many ACC teams are habitually seeded among the top four in their regions. That subtle sign of respect peaked in ’99 when the trio who did get invited were seeded No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3. This year UVa is a No. 1 and both Duke and UNC are second seeds.