The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the conference consists of fifteen member universities, each of whom compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)'s Division I, with its football teams competing in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), the highest levels for athletic competition in US-based collegiate sports. The ACC sponsors competition in twenty-five sports with many of its member institutions' athletic programs held in high regard nationally. Current members of the conference are Boston College, Clemson University, Duke University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Florida State University, North Carolina State University, Syracuse University, the University of Louisville, the University of Miami, the University of North Carolina, the University of Notre Dame, the University of Pittsburgh, the University of Virginia, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, and Wake Forest University.
The Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year is a basketball award given to the men's basketball player in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) voted as the most outstanding player. It has been presented since the league's first season, 1953–54, by the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association, and beginning in 2012–13 has also been presented in separate voting by the league's head coaches. The award was first given to Dickie Hemric of Wake Forest, and the coaches' award was first presented in 2013 to Shane Larkin of Miami.
The Louisville Cardinals are the NCAA athletic teams representing the University of Louisville. The Cardinals teams play in the Atlantic Coast Conference, beginning in the 2014 season. While playing in the Big East Conference from 2005 through 2013, the Cardinals captured 17 regular season Big East titles and 33 Big East Tournament titles totaling 50 Big East Championships across all sports. With their 2013 Sugar Bowl appearance against the Florida Gators, the Cardinals football team became the only football team in the Commonwealth of Kentucky to have appeared in and won two Bowl Championship Series bowls, having defeated Wake Forest 24–13 in the 2007 Orange Bowl and Florida 33–23 in the 2013 Sugar Bowl. On November 28, 2012, Louisville received and accepted an invitation to join the Atlantic Coast Conference and became a participating member in all sports in 2014. In 2016, Lamar Jackson won the school its first Heisman Trophy. Their fan base is referred to as “Card Nation.” Their fans are known to appear in large numbers at away venues causing red adorned fans to be seen across visiting stadiums. This has become known as the “red mist.”
The Metropolitan Collegiate Athletic Conference, popularly known as the Metro Conference, was an NCAA Division I athletics conference, so named because its six charter members were all in urban metropolitan areas, though its later members did not follow that pattern. The conference was centered in the Upper South with some strength in the Deep South. The conference never sponsored football, although most of its members throughout its history had Division I-A football programs. In 1995, it merged with the Great Midwest Conference to form Conference USA. The merger was driven mainly by football, as several Metro Conference members had been successfully lured to larger conferences that sponsored the sport.
The Virginia Cavaliers, also known as Wahoos or Hoos, are the athletic teams representing the University of Virginia, located in Charlottesville. The Cavaliers compete at the NCAA Division I level, in the Atlantic Coast Conference since 1953. Known simply as Virginia in sports media, UVA has twice won the Capital One Cup for men's sports after leading the nation in overall athletic excellence. The Cavaliers have regularly placed among the Top 5 nationally.
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets is the name used for all of the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the Georgia Institute of Technology, located in Atlanta, Georgia. The teams have also been nicknamed the Ramblin' Wreck, Engineers, Blacksmiths, and Golden Tornado. There are eight men's and seven women's teams that compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I athletics and the Football Bowl Subdivision. Georgia Tech is a member of the Coastal Division in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
The NC State Wolfpack is the nickname of the athletic teams representing North Carolina State University. The Wolfpack competes at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) for all sports since the 1953–54 season. The athletic teams of the Wolfpack compete in 23 intercollegiate varsity sports. NC State is a founding member of the ACC and has won eight national championships: two NCAA championships, two AIAW championships, and four titles under other sanctioning bodies. Most NC State fans and athletes recognize the rivalry with the North Carolina Tar Heels as their biggest.
The Clemson Tigers are the athletic teams that represent Clemson University, located in Clemson, South Carolina. They compete as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level, primarily competing in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) for all sports since the 1953–54 season. Clemson competes for and has won multiple NCAA Division I national championships in various sports, including football, men's soccer, and men's golf.
The Atlantic Coast Conference Athlete of the Year award is given to the male and female athlete who show extraordinary talent throughout the entire season. The award is decided by members of the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association.
The Wake Forest Demon Deacons are the various sports teams that represent Wake Forest University, located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. They compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Athlete of the Year is an award given by various sports organizations for the athlete whom they have determined to be deserving of such recognition.
The Big East Conference Men's Basketball Freshman of the Year, known as Big East Conference Men's Basketball Rookie of the Year from 1989 to 2015, is a Rookie of the Year award given annually by the Big East Conference to one or more men's basketball players in their first year of competitive play. It was first awarded by the original Big East Conference at the end of its inaugural 1979–80 season. When the conference split along football lines in 2013, the seven schools of the original Big East that did not play FBS football joined with three other schools and formed a new Big East Conference, with the FBS schools remaining in the former Big East structure under the new name of American Athletic Conference. While both offshoot conferences claim the same 1979 starting date and administrative history, the athletic history of the original league is claimed only by the current Big East.
The Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Basketball Coach of the Year is a basketball award given to head coaches in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). The award is granted to the head coach voted to be the most successful that season by members of the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association, and since the 2012–13 season has also been awarded in separate voting by the league's coaches. The award was first given following the 1953–54 season, the first year of the conference's existence, to Everett Case of NC State. The first winner of the coaches' award was Jim Larrañaga of Miami (FL)a in 2013.
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Men's Basketball Rookie of the Year is an award given to the freshman basketball player in the Atlantic Coast Conference voted by members of the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association as the most outstanding freshman player.
The Atlantic Coast Conference Baseball Player of the Year is a baseball award given to the Atlantic Coast Conference's most outstanding player. The award was first given following the 1969 season, with both pitchers and position players eligible. After the 2005 season, the Atlantic Coast Conference Baseball Pitcher of the Year award was created to honor the most outstanding pitcher.
The 2013–14 ACC men's basketball season began with practices in October 2013, followed by the start of the 2013–14 NCAA Division I men's basketball season in November. Conference play started in early January 2014 and concluded in March with the 2014 ACC Men's Basketball Tournament at the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro. The 2013–14 season marked the first season for three new additions to the conference from the Big East: Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, and Syracuse. It was also the final ACC season for conference charter member Maryland, which left after the season for the Big Ten Conference.
The Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Soccer Offensive Player of the Year is an annual award given to the best attacking player in the Atlantic Coast Conference during the NCAA Division I men's soccer season. Prior to 2004, the award had been known as the Men's Soccer Player of the Year, but in 2003 the award split into the Men's Offensive and Defensive Categories. The award has been given since 1970. Notable winners of the award include current and former professionals, Henry Gutierrez, Mike Fisher, Charlie Davies, Alejandro Bedoya, Kyle Martino and Jack Harrison. The ACC Men's Soccer Offensive Player of the Year award is currently held by Robbie Robinson, who won the award as a junior with Clemson, while the ACC Men's Soccer Defensive Player of the Year award is currently held by Malick Mbaye, who won the award as a senior with Clemson.