The North Carolina legislature announced it had reached an agreement on a $27.9 billion budget on Tuesday, June 28.
However, it is $15 million of that $27.9 billion that has Greensboro in a tizzy.
It appears that the proposed budget which still has to be passed by the state House and state Senate and then signed by Gov. Roy Cooper, has allocated $15 million to keep the headquarters of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in North Carolina.
Reports indicate that the two front runners for the ACC headquarters were Charlotte and Orlando. Noticeably missing from that short list is Greensboro.
The ACC was formed at a meeting in 1953 at the Sedgefield Inn and the headquarters has been in Greensboro ever since. The current ACC headquarters is at Grandover. The ACC has about 50 employees, so it’s not about jobs but about the prestige of having one of the premier college athletic leagues headquartered in Greensboro.
The ACC announced in October that it was contemplating moving the headquarters and that a number of factors would be considered including population size and positive growth trends, access to a large hub airport, benefits to the overall ACC brand and operational expenses.
None of those factors bode well for Greensboro.
The Charlotte airport is an American Airlines hub and has many more direct flights than the Piedmont Triad International Airport.
Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee Rep. Jason Saine (R-Lincoln) reportedly confirmed that the bill was for the ACC headquarters to move to Charlotte. Saine told WRAL News, “We just want to make sure that we keep it here. You grow up in the state, one, it’s sentimental, but two, from an economic development standpoint from what we attract as far as future tournaments and where they’re going to be played, if their headquartered in this state, we’re far better off. Hate to get competing between two cities, but the reality is some cities have more of what they need right now.”
The budget doesn’t actually name the ACC or Charlotte.
Greensboro has lobbied hard to keep the ACC headquarters here and according to Mayor Nancy Vaughan, who attended the ACC spring meetings in May, Greensboro offered a competitive package and received positive feedback.
The final decision on the location of the ACC headquarters will be made by the 15 member ACC board of directors and so far no vote has been taken.
Lack of a major airport in GSO will always make it challenge to attract head offices of any nature. We will always just be a mid sized city that calls it self the Gate City….because you can get to a lot of great places from here…but there is nothing really great here in itself. Which is ok with me.
This is for our in-house knows all chris. Saw this in business news and on tv today quote” on Wed. US government began its first onshore oil and natural gas drilling lease auctions since slo joe took office after a federal court blocked the administration’s attempt to suspend such sales because of climate change concerns “ So much for your arguments that the current batch of fools are trying to get the oil companies to do more to help with gas prices
Hey chris. How racist is this over 60 people shot in Chicago since Thursday. 15 dead. Guess what. All black I guess I’m being racist again. What a great democrat city to live in.
I wouldn’t want to locate any business in Guilford County. The ACC is a long way from the original 8 teams. GSO is a good location for the tournament, but now, it matters no more. By the way, I went to a Big Four College.
Let them go. I’m tired of corporations deciding they want to be in a big city so their executives can enjoy the perks (more restaurants and cultural events) and then extorting taxpayers in exchange for possibly staying. I doubt most Greensboro residents even know the ACC is headquartered here. They know about the games but not the their little office that employs less people than a typical heating and air conditioning repair shop.
And shame on Republican legislators for supporting yet another waste of our hard-earned money.
The NC Legislators want the headquarters in NC. Any NC Big Four basketball fan would want that. Boston would want it, too.
Chris Meadows for Greensboro Mayor 2022
WRITE-IN candidate, Chris Meadows. Please do not confuse people who may be looking for his name on the ballot.
Do keep the mayor out of it…she and her clowns will screw this up too.
The clowns are up for re-election in July. Last chance to get rid of them.
Maybe Cooper and McCrory get along better than we thought?
You mean D. B. Cooper?
The big increase in taxes is going to run a lot of other companies away soon too. Greensboro is going down hill fast. People want to live where there are quality persons living and that is a major consideration in selecting a city for relocation and starting a business.
Having now the highest property tax in the state doesn’t bode well either for the location of any business enterprise looking for a location
Dear ACC, Don’t let the door hit you in the butt on you’re way out!