ACC Title Game Saturday
(November 30, 2008)

The Atlantic Coast Conference will decide its football title this Saturday at Raymond James Stadium. In a rematch of last year's ACC Championship Game, Boston College (9-3) will play Virginia Tech (8-4). How did this game end up in Tampa and what came we expect of this year's match up?

When the Atlantic Coast Conference expanded to twelve members for the 2005 season, the ACC Conference Championship game was born. Cities lobbied hard for the right to host the event with Atlanta, Charlotte, Jacksonville, Orlando, and Tampa the prime contenders. On August 19, 2004, the conference announced that Jacksonville would host the game in 2005 and 2006. There was also an option for an additional one or two years. Charlotte was the runner-up in the competition to host the first game.

The first ACC Championship Game was held December 3, 2005 and did very well with nearby Florida State defeating Virginia Tech 27-22. 72,749 attended that first contest, but attendance dropped off the next two years. 62,850 saw Wake Forest defeat Georgia Tech 9-6 in 2006, while 53,212 came to see a 30-16 Virginia Tech win against Boston College in 2007.

When the league decided to try another location, ACC commissioner John Swofford commented, "We had one superb year and the next two years were not what we would have hoped. What we're after is to find the best mix of local ticket sales, plus sales from participating schools, to give us the best opportunity, regardless of who's playing." Swofford did say about Jacksonville, "We appreciate their efforts as the first host of the championship game in helping us get this game off the ground."

On December 12, 2007, the ACC announced its plans for the future. The game would be played in Tampa after the 2008 and 2009 seasons, then move to Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte for the 2010 and 2011 seasons. Many thought that Charlotte, in the heart of traditional ACC territory, would be the favorite for the game, but a convention that same weekend opened the door for Tampa Bay. Commissioner Swofford stated, "We are extremely excited about the future of the ACC Football Championship game at these sites. Both Tampa Bay and Charlotte are tremendous destinations in terms of their football venue, community support and partnership with the Atlantic Coast Conference. Both locations have outstanding leadership as well as surrounding communities that have embraced the opportunity to continue the growth of our championship game." Speaking of the two-year deals, Swofford said, "It gives both cities the best opportunity to showcase their abilities. Both cities felt best-served if they were awarded two consecutive years." Jeff Adams, chairman of the Tampa Bay Sports Commission, said "This is an exciting day for the Tampa Bay community, one that has been many years in the making. This is a community that's poised and passionate about taking the championship to the next level."

At 1 p.m. Saturday, Tampa will get its opportunity to host the game with Boston College and Virginia Tech coming to town. Boston College comes in ranked 18th in the Country and the Jeff Jagodzinski coached Eagles are on a four game winning streak including victories over Notre Dame and at Florida State. Coach Frank Beamer's Hokies lost at BC 28-23 back in in October, but Virginia Tech will be looking to win back-to-back ACC Championship Games over Boston College.