Thanks to @ASD_Hokiesmash for forwarding this press release from the ACC.
ACC
As part of the Atlantic Coast Conference’s continued commitment to diversity, inclusion, social justice and racial equity, the league has announced plans for the conference’s third annual Spring Unity Week, which will be held April 15-23. ACC Unity Weeks are initiatives of the ACC’s Committee for Racial and Social Justice (CORE – Champions of Racial Equity) and have been developed in conjunction with the league’s 15 member institutions. The ACC celebrated three Unity Weeks in both 2020-21 and 2021-22 (Fall, Winter, Spring) and will do the same during the 2022-23 academic year.
ACC Network is home for the conference’s spring championships with exclusive live coverage across the network’s platforms through May. Viewers will see the crowning of ACC Champions in eight events – men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s outdoor track & field, rowing and women’s lacrosse on either ACCN or ACC Network Extra (ACCNX), ACCN’s digital platform available to authenticated subscribers on the ESPN App. Baseball and softball will have extensive coverage on the network, with championship games on ESPN2.
The ACC leads all Division I conferences with seven institutions in the top-25 – North Carolina (4th), NC State (9th), Virginia (10th), Notre Dame (12th), Louisville (15th), Duke (17th) and Pitt (22nd) – in the first edition of the partial LEARFIELD Directors’ Cup winter standings released April 6. The complete updated winter standings will be announced later this month, with the final 2022-23 standings determined at the conclusion of all spring sports in late June.
The ACC has the most 2022-23 NCAA championships with five. Overall, the 12 NCAA titles by the ACC in the last two academic years are the most of any conference. The ACC has won NCAA championships this academic year in Women’s Cross Country (NC State), Field Hockey (North Carolina), Men’s Soccer (Syracuse), Women’s Swimming & Diving (Virginia) and Fencing (Notre Dame). In addition, North Carolina women’s tennis won the 2023 ITA National Indoor Championship.
The ACC has 15 programs ranked either No. 1 or No. 2 in their respective sports – the most among all conferences. Teams earning a No. 1 or No. 2 ranking in a major poll are:
Duke men’s lacrosse (No. 2 – USILA)
Louisville volleyball (No. 2 – AVCA)
North Carolina field hockey (No. 1 – NFHCA)
North Carolina men’s golf (No. 2 – Goflstat/Golfweek)
North Carolina women’s soccer (No. 2 – United Soccer Coaches)
North Carolina women’s tennis (No. 1 – ITA)
NC State women’s cross country (No. 1 – USTFCCCA)
Notre Dame men’s lacrosse (No. 1 – USILA, Inside Lacrosse)
Notre Dame women’s fencing (No. 1 – US Fencing Coaches Association)
Syracuse men’s soccer (No. 1 – United Soccer Coaches)
Syracuse women’s lacrosse (No. 1 – IL Women/IWLCA)
Virginia men’s lacrosse (No. 2 – Inside Lacrosse)
Virginia women’s swimming and diving (No. 1 – CSCAA)
Wake Forest baseball (No. 2 – D1Baseball, USA Today Coaches, NCBWA)
Wake Forest women’s golf (No. 1 – Golfweek)
Following a deliberate and comprehensive search, the ACC announced the hiring of Pearlynn Houck as its first in-house General Counsel. Houck, who will begin her tenure on April 17, comes to the ACC from Robinson Bradshaw’s Charlotte office, where she was most recently a litigation shareholder. During her 17-year career at the firm, she has practiced in the areas of litigation, government and internal investigations, education, and sports law.
ACC Network
ACC Network is the exclusive home for ACC football’s slate of spring games throughout April. ACCN will air Virginia’s Spring Game on Saturday, April 15 at 2 p.m., as the Cavaliers make their first public appearance at Scott Stadium since November’s tragedy on Grounds. ACCNX, the network’s digital platform available on the ESPN App, will carry the remaining spring football games over the next two weekends. All spring football games on ACCNX will re-air this spring on ACCN.
Football
A busy weekend of Spring Football games begins Friday, as Miami plays its Spring Game at 7:30 p.m. Boston College, Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Pitt, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest will hold their Spring Games on Saturday.
Forty-four ACC student-athletes were named as members of the 2023 NFF Hampshire Honor Society on Wednesday. They represent 11 league schools. The 2023 NFF class is comprised of college football players from all divisions of the NCAA, NAIA and sprint football who each maintained a cumulative 3.2 GPA or better throughout their college careers and were starters or significant contributors throughout the 2022 season
The Charlotte Sports Foundation announced that NC State and Tennessee will play in the 2024 Duke’s Mayo Classic. The game will be played on September 7, 2024, at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Florida State and Georgia Tech will open the 2024 ACC football season in Dublin, Ireland, in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic. The game will be held Aug. 24, 2024, at Aviva Stadium, and Georgia Tech will serve as the home team. This will be the second time two ACC schools have opened the season in Dublin. Georgia Tech, which is making its second appearance in the Aer Lingus Classic, downed Boston College, 17-14, in the 2016 version in Dublin. This will mark the first international game in the storied history of Florida State football.
Women’s Basketball
At least three ACC student-athletes were selected in the WNBA Draft for the 26th consecutive year. Virginia Tech’s Kayana Traylor was taken by the Chicago Sky in the second round, while in the third round, Miami’s Destiny Harden was picked by the Phoenix Mercury and Hokie Taylor Soule was taken by the Minnesota Lynx. After the Draft, a pair of ACC standouts received training camp invites, as Duke’s Elizabeth Balogun is heading to Las Vegas, while Louisville’s Liz Dixon will go to Phoenix.
On Wednesday, Notre Dame announced it will open the 2023-24 season in Paris, France against Final Four participant South Carolina. The historic matchup in Paris will tipoff on Nov. 6. It is the first ever college basketball game — men’s or women’s — to be played in the City of Lights, and it is the Irish program’s first trip outside of North America.
Six ACC teams were featured in ESPN’s “Way-Too-Early” Top 25 rankings, the second-most among all conferences. Notre Dame led the way at No. 10, Virginia Tech is No. 14, Duke is No. 16 and Florida State rounded out the top 20 at No. 19. Louisville is No. 22 and North Carolina landed at No. 24.
Baseball
At least five ACC baseball teams are ranked nationally in every major poll this week, with Wake Forest continuing to lead the way. The Demon Deacons (29-4) are ranked second nationally in three major polls and no lower than fourth by any publication. The Demon Deacons (29-4, 12-2 ACC) have tied the program’s second best-ever start through 33 games. The 1950 team also stood 29-4. The 1949 team, which posted a 31-2 record through 33 games, holds the school record.
At 30-4 overall, No. 7 Virginia owns the nation’s highest winning percentage at .882, with Wake Forest (29-4) just behind at .879. Virginia enters this weekend’s home series with Pitt owning the nation’s longest home winning streak, having won 23-consecutive games at Disharoon Park dating back to last season. UVA broke the school record during its sweep of Miami last weekend, surpassing its mark of 19-straight home games set in 2009 and 2022.
After allowing only four hits and striking out an ACC season-high 14 batters in an April 7 win over Clemson, Florida State right-hander Jackson Baumeister has been named the NCBWA Dick Howser National Pitcher of the Week. He is the fourth ACC player this season to earn an NCBWA national honor, joining Louisville’s Carson Liggett (Pitcher of the Week on March 7), Miami’s CJ Kayfus (Co-Hitter of the Week on March 21) and Virginia Tech’s Jack Hurley (Hitter of the Week on April 11).
Seven ACC players were named to the Golden Spikes Award midseason watch list, second among all conferences. The award, which recognizes the nation’s top amateur baseball player, will be announced during the College World Series in Omaha on June 25.
Men’s Golf
Four ACC teams are included in the Golfstat Top 25 rankings of April 12. No. 2 North Carolina leads the way, followed by No. 6 Florida State, No. 12 Georgia Tech and No. 16 Virginia. Based on this week’s rankings, those teams will be the top four seeds for the upcoming ACC Men’s Golf Championship.
In Golfstat’s individual rankings, No. 4 David Ford of North Carolina is the top-ranked ACC golfer and is joined in the top 25 by No. 9 Austin Greaser of North Carolina, No. 10 Christo Lamprecht of Georgia Tech, No. 12 Cole Anderson of Florida State, No. 16 Ben James of Virginia, No. 18 Ross Steelman of Georgia Tech and No. 23 Brett Roberts of Florida State.
The ACC Men’s Golf Championship is set for April 21-24 at the Country Club of North Carolina in Pinehurst. Teams will play three rounds of stroke play with the top four teams advancing to match play competition.
Women’s Golf
The ACC Women’s Golf Championship is underway at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, North Carolina and runs through Sunday. On Friday, Wake Forest won the team stroke-play competition by eight strokes over Duke. The top four teams in stroke play, Wake Forest, Duke, Clemson and Virginia, advance to the match-play competition, which begins Saturday and concludes Sunday. Virginia’s Amanda Sambach was the individual medalist with a 54-hole tournament record of 202 (-12).
Four ACC teams are ranked in the Golfstat Top 25 rankings. No. 2 Wake Forest leads the way, followed by No. 11 Florida State, No. 22 Virginia and No. 24 Clemson. Three schools are among Golfweek’s Top 25 with No. 1 Wake Forest, No. 10 Florida State and No. 22 Virginia.
Three ACC golfers are ranked in the top 10 of Golfstat’s individual rankings – Wake Forest’s Rachel Kuehn is No. 2, FSU’s Charlotte Heath is No. 9 and FSU’s Lottie Woad is No. 10. Wake Forest’s Lauren Walsh is No. 15 and teammate Carol Lopez-Chacarra is No. 20.
Men’s Lacrosse
For the ninth straight week, an ACC team holds the No. 1 national ranking, as Notre Dame regained the top position in both polls following its win last Saturday over then-No. 1 Duke (UVa for six weeks, ND two weeks, Duke one week).
All five ACC teams are nationally ranked this week. In the USILA poll, ND is followed by Duke (2), Virginia (3), North Carolina (12) and Syracuse (18). In the Inside Lacrosse poll, Virginia is No. 2, with Duke (3), UNC (11) and Syracuse (17) following.
In the latest NCAA RPI, ACC teams hold the top three spots and four of the top 10 with Notre Dame (1), Duke (2), Virginia (3) and North Carolina (9).
ACC teams are 32-6 (84.2%) in non-conference play, by far the best win percentage of any conference (Big Ten is second at 68.1%).
Women’s Lacrosse
Six ACC programs are ranked among the top 25 in the latest IL Women/IWLCA poll: Syracuse (1), UNC (5), BC (7), Notre Dame (8), Virginia (12) and Clemson (19). That is the most of any league nationally.
In the first NCAA RPI for 2023, ACC teams make up five of the top 12 and seven of the top 30, with Syracuse (1), UNC (4), BC (8), Notre Dame (11), Virginia (12), Duke (20) and Clemson (29).
ACC teams are 52-16 (.765) in non-conference action, the best win percentage and fewest losses of any major conference.
Twenty-four ACC players earned spots on the watch list for the Tewaaraton Award, by far the most of any conference.
Rowing
Three teams remained in the Pocock/Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) Rankings, as Syracuse, Virginia and Duke all landed in the top 15. The Orange paced the trio at No. 8, the Cavaliers were No. 9 and the Blue Devils claimed the No. 14 spot. Notre Dame and Clemson were receiving votes.
Softball
Four ACC softball teams are ranked in the top 15 of the latest USA Today/NFCA poll. Florida State jumped up to No. 4, Clemson is No. 6, Virginia Tech clocks in at No. 11 and Duke is No. 14.
Florida State took a two-game lead in the ACC following a sweep of Clemson over the weekend. The Seminoles are now 7-0 against the Tigers. It marked the first time they have won three-straight games against a top five opponent in the regular season.
The ACC leads the country in saves (55) and home runs (506) and ranks third in multiple categories across the NCAA: hits (3,652), doubles (623), triples (93), RBI (2,312), runs (2,555), strikeouts (2,826).
Multiple teams in the ACC lead the country in various statistical categories. Virginia Tech leads the NCAA with 77 home runs and is averaging 1.88 HR per game – the top mark in the nation. Clemson owns the fourth most doubles in the NCAA with 72. Florida State leads the country in walks at 170.
Swimming & Diving
Kate Douglass was named the Honda Sport Award Winner for swimming and diving for the second year in a row. The Honda Sport Award has been presented annually by the CWSA for the past 47 years to the top women athletes in 12 NCAA-sanctioned sports and signifies “the best of the best in collegiate athletics.” The winner of the sport award becomes a finalist for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and the prestigious 2023 Honda Cup.
Tennis
The ACC Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championships are being held next week, April 18-23, at Cary Tennis Park in Cary, North Carolina. Competition begins on Wednesday and will continue through Sunday’s championship.
Twelve ACC teams are ranked across the latest men’s and women’s Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Top 25 rankings.
On the men’s side, Virginia improved to No. 7, while Duke jumped to No. 13 and North Carolina is No. 16. Wake Forest moved up to No. 18, Florida State is No. 19 and NC State holds at No. 22. With six teams in the Top 25, the ACC is tied for most of any conference.
On the women’s side, North Carolina maintains the top spot at No. 1, Duke improved to No. 3, NC State is No. 8 and Virginia holds at No. 9. Miami moved up to No. 13, while Georgia Tech is No. 22.
Ten ACC players – the most of any conference – are among the top 25 individual rankings, including North Carolina’s Fiona Crawley at No. 1 and Duke’s Chloe Beck at No. 4. Seven ACC doubles teams are among the top 25, also the most of any conference.
Seven ACC men’s tennis singles players are in the Top 25 of the ITA Rankings – the most of any conference – led by No. 4 Antoine Cornut-Chauvinc of Florida State. The league’s seven doubles teams in the top 25 of the ITA rankings are the most of any conference.
Track & Field
No. 10 Miami leads five ACC women’s teams among the top 25 of this week’s USTFCCCA rankings. The Hurricanes are followed by No. 16 Notre Dame, No. 17 Virginia, No. 22 NC State and No. 23 Florida State.
Four ACC men’s teams are among the USTFCCCA top 25 nationally with No. 11 Clemson and No. 13 Virginia followed by No. 17 Louisville and No. 23 Miami.
Two ACC student-athletes currently rank No. 1 nationally in NCAA qualifying field events – Miami’s Russell Robinson in the men’s triple jump at 16.73 meters (54-10.75) and Notre Dame’s Jadin O’Brien in the women’s pentathlon (5942 points).
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