ACC Expansion Good for the City of Charlotte??

Doesn't seem so...

From today's CLT Observer:

Charlotte outlook with ACC not good

AMELIA ISLAND, Fla. - Charlotte appears in danger of losing its stake in the ACC's major championships as the expanded conference moves toward its first season with 12 schools.

Jeff Beaver, the executive director of the Charlotte Regional Sports Commission, said Monday that he is "less than optimistic" that Charlotte will be asked to bid on ACC men's basketball tournaments scheduled after 2010.

Meanwhile, Jacksonville, Fla., is off to a fast start with ticket sales for the inaugural ACC football championship, to be held Dec. 3. Gator Bowl President Rick Catlett said Monday that 42,000 of the 77,000 tickets have been sold to sponsors and Gator Bowl Association members for the event -- even though seats won't be sold to the public until June 1.

The ACC awarded Jacksonville a two-year contract with a two-year option (on the part of the ACC). Charlotte was among a number of interested cities in the game.

"Jacksonville is in the driver's seat," Beaver said. "If they do a good job, the ACC will probably go back there."

Charlotte's stake in the ACC basketball tournament is in jeopardy because the new uptown arena will seat 20,200 for basketball. With three new schools (Boston College, Miami and Virginia Tech), increased ticket demand might cause the ACC to hold the tournament at larger venues.

Atlanta's Georgia Dome (40,083 for basketball) and the Greensboro Coliseum (23,745) will remain in the rotation, ACC Commissioner John Swofford said Monday at the conference's spring meetings. Swofford said ACC officials might decide this week whether smaller venues will still be considered.

"The question is whether we continue what I would call the `geographic footprint' approach with the rotation, which would have to include some smaller arenas, such as the MCI Center (in Washington), or Tampa or Charlotte," Swofford said.

The ACC men's basketball tournament is scheduled through 2010, with Greensboro (2006 and 2010), Tampa, Fla. (2007), Charlotte (2008) and Atlanta (2009) set as hosts. N.C. State athletics director Lee Fowler said the Georgia Dome can be difficult to obtain as a site because the SEC men's tournament often is played there, too.

But Fowler said some ADs favor domes as often as once every two years. That doesn't bode well for smaller arenas, such as Charlotte's.

"I'm not sure they'll be eliminated," Fowler said. "It may be less of a rotation. We may not go to them as quickly as we have in the past. We'll stay in the larger venues as much as we can, just to make sure everybody gets an allotment and takes care of their larger donors."

Beaver watched Olympic basketball games at the Georgia Dome in 1996. He can't understand the appeal of domed arenas for basketball because fans in distant seats can barely see without binoculars.

Fowler said the ACC tournament ought not be at a dome every year because some fans don't enjoy those games. The large number of tickets available for domes also can decrease booster clubs' ability to raise money because fans know they don't have to make big contributions to acquire seats.

"But I think (booster clubs), too, from what we've heard on the basketball committee, is they feel like they would like to be in a dome every so often anyway," Fowler said.

Beaver is disappointed with Charlotte's dwindling prospects of playing host to major ACC events. He remains committed to bidding for future ACC football championships if the opportunity arises.

He is considering proposing first- and second-day ACC basketball tournament play in Charlotte with semifinals and finals elsewhere. Beaver hopes to make a strong case for Charlotte when the city plays host in 2008. The size of the downtown arena might render that case moot.

"If they want 30,000, 25,000 people, we can't do it," Beaver said. "Maybe they will come to their senses. ...I think going to this pure numbers thing is getting out of hand."

ACC Men's Basketball Tournament Sites


Yr Site Capacity
'06 Greensboro 23,745
'07 Tampa, Fla. 20,500
'08 Charlotte 20,200
'09 Atlanta* 40,083
'10 Greensboro 23,745
*Georgia Dome

 

What are they going to do, just alternate between Greensboro and Atlanta? They don't have any other options that I can think of that can seat 25,000+, and I serioulsy doubt anyone will ever build an arena that big just for a conference basketball tournament every couple of years.

 

Based on the crappy ass crowds I saw in DC this year, I'd have to say yes. Rotate between Charlotte, G-boro, and Atlanta.

 

Charlotte pretty much did that already with the current "old Coliseum". it holds what, 23,000+ just like G-boro. I remember when they were pushing for the new Bobcats arena, they said "the current coliseum is outdated w/o luxury boxes. it was built to hold the ACC tourney". now its going to work against them . stupid arena wars.

 

But how much is it going to hurt Charlotte that the new arena will "only" seat 20,500 for the tournament? I can't see the ACC deciding to play exclusively in two cities, and they don't have any other arena options that are significantly bigger than Charlotte.

Seems like to me that this article is trying to make a major issue that the ACC isn't going to consider Charlotte because of the size of their arena, when in reality they pretty much have to consider Charlotte if they're interested in moving the tournament around at all.