Pittsburgh basketball coach Jamie Dixon said that he and Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim yesterday during the ACC basketball coaches meetings "made their pitch for the league to move its tournament to New York," according to Sam Werner of the PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE. But Dixon admitted that "it would be difficult to overcome the tournament's Tobacco Road roots." The ACC Tournament traditionally has been in Greensboro, N.C., and "never has been held north of the Mason-Dixon line." Dixon said, "Obviously, coach Boeheim and I are excited about New York, but I also know that Greensboro has a strong, strong presence here at these meetings. I think (Madison Square Garden) would be the best thing for the conference. I hope that's the way they're headed, but I don't know that it is." Werner notes one item that "apparently has been ruled out is having New York City as part of a rotation with other cities, including Greensboro." Dixon said that both MSG and Barclays Center "would require long-term commitments." He added, "They've got to lock in an event on an annual basis. They can't open it up for five days once every five years or something." Dixon also said that his "bid to have Pittsburgh as host of the tournament, at least occasionally, was shot down" (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 5/15). FSU coach Leonard Hamilton believes the ACC "needs to be aggressive when it comes to marketing" the tournament. Hamilton: "It’s been successful in Greensboro for a number of years. But with the footprint changing … there are some opportunities that I think everyone needs to explore. I think there are some venues that will be exploring the ACC, and I think it’s only right for us to explore other possibilities as well" (TALLAHASSEE DEMOCRAT, 5/15).
