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As you probably know, the ACC has decided to move its corporate headquarters from Greensboro to Charlotte. For a lot of people in this state, there’s a sense of relief that the league is still here rather than going to Godforsaken Orlando, which, other than having Johnny Dawkins at Central Florida, doesn’t have a lot to recommend it (yes, we know it has the theme parks).
The Rocky Mount Telegram has some thoughts about the move which probably reflect what a lot of people around here think:
“Though there were many logical and sentimental arguments for the league’s headquarters to remain in the place where it was founded 69 years ago, the moment the ACC announced that it was mulling its options, one foot already was out the door...ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips all but placed his cards face-up on the table during in August.
“‘Should (the conference headquarters) be aligned with media opportunities? Should it be aligned with Fortune 100, 200, 500 companies? Should it be aligned with corporate sponsorship opportunities? Should it be aligned with a city that could host championships or does host championships? …That’s what needs to be looked at. Are we leaving some money out there? Are we leaving some branding out there? Are we leaving some exposure out there?’”
The paper points out that the Charlotte airport is better (and an easy shot from the new HQ) and that ESPN has the ACC Network headquarters in Charlotte, which are good points in favor of the Queen City.
There is an emotional tie to Greensboro that is hard to explain. It was the home of the tournament for many years. It’s where David Thompson and NC State knocked off Bill Walton’s UCLA and then won the national championship in 1974.
Things change over time of course but not everyone adjusts. Plenty of people in Brooklyn still mourn Ebbetts Field, which was torn down two year after the Dodgers moved to LA in 1958.
People don’t much care where the office is in a sense, but Greensboro was a much more intimate home than Charlotte is likely to be. And that is a loss.
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