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Swofford Says ACC Tournament At Barclays Center Will Only Enhance Conference Brand

The ACC Tournament tips off today, marking the first time the conference traveled "above the Mason-Dixon Line" for the "start of a two-year run at Barclays Center in Brooklyn," according to Marc Tracy of the N.Y. TIMES. The conference "saw a need to plant its flag" in N.Y. as part of the "great game of conference realignment." The ACC added Syracuse in '13 and is "competing in the area not only with traditionally Northeastern leagues but also the Big Ten," which next year will "end its season early in order to play its tournament" at MSG the week before the Big East does. ACC Commissioner John Swofford said the tournament at Barclays will "only enhance" the conference's brand and "help develop even more new ways to meet new basketball fans." Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment CEO Brett Yormark "predicted capacity crowds, particularly for the latter stages of the tournament" (N.Y. TIMES, 3/7). The AP's Ralph Russo notes this week's tournament represents the ACC trying to "claim some ownership of the country’s largest media market." Since the ACC Tournament started in '54, it has "only been held outside of the state of North Carolina 12 times" (AP, 3/7). In North Carolina, Stephen Schramm writes it is "not clear how well the tournament will fit in the nation’s largest and most vibrant city, which is nearly four hours away from the nearest ACC campus" (FAYETTEVILLE OBSERVER, 3/7). 

CAROLINA ON MY MIND: In Raleigh, Luke DeCock notes if things "go well this week, there will be a strong push from" former Big East schools Syracuse and Pitt to "come back more often." DeCock: "Perhaps even always." North Carolina "made the ACC tournament what it is today," first at Reynolds Coliseum, then at Greensboro Coliseum, and "proximity to the schools that care the most is what made it great." Hosting the tournament in North Carolina -- "not every year, but on a reasonably regular basis -- is as important to the ACC as it is the state where it makes its home." But between the state's controversial HB2 and the "wishes of the Big East exiles, that’s under threat." The ACC is "moving forward with contingency plans" to move the '19 tournament from Charlotte and the '20 tournament from Greensboro "because of HB2." That will "come up for a vote at the ACC’s annual meeting in May." The bidding cycle for '21 and beyond "hasn’t started yet, so what happens this year (and next) in Brooklyn will matter as much as HB2 in that equation" (Raleigh NEWS & OBSERVER, 3/7). 

GARDEN KEEPER: NCAA Tournament Selection Committee Chair Mark Hollis said the ACC holding its tourney in N.Y. is "great" and comes a year before the Big Ten is going to be coming here (to MSG) to have the opportunity to be part of this community and the basketball world." The ACC is a "tremendous, great conference with a lot of really good teams" ("Daily News Live," SNY, 3/6). ESPN's Jay Bilas said that the ACC will enjoy Barclays Center but "should set its eyes" on MSG. Bilas: "Madison Square Garden would be the perfect place for the ACC Tournament permanently. I know the old guard in North Carolina will scream tradition, tradition. Things change. If we're going to have 16 teams and be this behemoth of a conference, the big stage is in New York." In Providence, Kevin McNamara notes the Big East has a contract to "remain in the building" through '26, and those two parties "own a strong relationship" (PROVIDENCE JOURNAL, 3/7). 

GET 'EM WHILE THEY'RE HOT: On Long Island, Neil Best reported resale ticket prices for the ACC Tournament are "trending higher than those for recent tournaments more geographically in line with the conference’s traditional base." On TicketIQ, the average asking price across the tournament was $185 as of yesterday, up from $121 in DC last year and a "range of $135 to $179 the previous three years in Greensboro." Asking prices for Friday’s semifinals at Barclays were "averaging $354, with a low of $88, and for Saturday’s final were averaging $256, with a low of $54" (NEWSDAY, 3/6). But in Syracuse, Chris Carlson notes tickets for tomorrow's afternoon session are "currently selling for as little as $6 on StubHub despite the fact that both Syracuse and Duke will be playing during the session" (Syracuse POST-STANDARD, 3/7). 

BECOMING PART OF THE LANDSCAPE: Mascots from various ACC schools stopped by the "Today" studios to promote the conference tournament. NBC’s Al Roker was excited and said, “We got mascots!” Roker: "You’ve got an orange. You’ve got an angry duck. You got Tony the Tiger’s cousin.” NBC’s Willie Geist said to the net's Savannah Guthrie, “You were saying take Clemson and the points in the first game.” Guthrie jokingly replied, “Do I have to explain it to you again?” (“Today,” NBC, 3/7).

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