Hello ACC fans, I know this is a sports blog and has nothing to do with politics. However, @Hokiesmash_ASD wrote a very interesting blog post this afternoon where he felt that the ACC headquarters was going to move out of North Carolina due to HB 2. Matthew, correctly argues that the NCAA has pulled numerous championships out of NC and that the NBA removed the All-Star game from Charlotte. The article written in the Raleigh News and Observer written by Luke DeCock advocates for the bill to be repealed.
As a sports blog and not a political blog, I will not bore you with the political wrangling that has gone one about this law and it’s repeal. All people need to know is this, Roy Cooper won the Governorship of North Carolina based on his promise to repeal HB 2. Another thing that needs to be addressed, is that the Republicans (many of whom were re-elected in Nov) hold VETO proof majorities in the legislature. There have been at least 2 and if you count this past week a third try at repealing HB 2 have failed.
Now, the problem that Gov. Cooper is facing, a very hostile legislature. If you haven’t been watching the news, the legislature passed sweeping laws lessening the powers before Cooper took office and were signed into law by Gov. McCrory. It has become so bad here in North Carolina that Gov. Cooper is suing the legislature over the constitutionality of the new laws. Why did I go through all of this? Why is it important in a sports blog? Because if you read the Luke DeCock column, he advocates for the General Assembly and the Governor need to repeal HB 2 within the next 12 days. Given this already hyper partisan election and the animosity between the General Assembly and the Governor does it sound like HB 2 is going anywhere? For me, I don’t think so.
Now, given that LOOOONG, (yes I understand it was long and boring to get to the anti-climatic conclusion) I will address Matthew’s assertion that the ACC will move it’s headquarters. I do not think that will happen. The reasons I will give are simple, to go and find the space that is needed to run a conference is very difficult to find and very expensive to rent. The ACC offices in Greensboro make them the focus of the ACC, and I’m sure that the ACC has some pretty nice incentives built in that other cities probably won’t match. The second reason I think will be this, the ACC Network. The ACC Network is run out of Charlotte NC. I do not see ESPN moving the operation out of North Carolina even with HB 2 in place.
Now, finally if the ACC WERE to move the headquarters (which I don’t think they will) I think there are better places then Washington D.C. (sorry Matthew). I don’t think DC is an option only due to the proximity of the Big 10 school MARYLAND being located in the DC Metro area. I would think that Atlanta would be an amazing place to relocate it to. However, the SEC rules supreme over Georgia and I don’t think the ACC wants to get into that fight. Any of the big cities in Florida are out, mostly because of the loyalties there are all over the place. So, that brings me to MY recommendation, PITTSBURGH!
Yes, I know, it’s not a traditional ACC city, but there are a lot of benefits. It’s a booming city, with very little challenge. Penn St has a presence in Pittsburgh, but it is a pro city. It is easy flight from most ACC cities with direct flights from most ACC areas. And it is a booming city that is centered on bio-medical research. I admit I am biased, I grew up 40 miles west of Pittsburgh and love that city, but I think it is emblematic of the ACC’s rise to prominence.
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