The Tradition

Part 1: the Tradition	Part 2: the Championships	Part 3: the History	Part 4: the Schools	Part 5: the Schools

Consistency. It is the mark of true excellence in any endeavor.

However, in today's intercollegiate athletics, competition has become so balanced and so competitive that it is virtually impossible to maintain a high level of consistency.

Yet the Atlantic Coast Conference has defied the odds. Now in its 55th year of competition, the ACC has long enjoyed the reputation as one of the strongest and most competitive intercollegiate conferences in the nation. And that is not mere conjecture, the numbers support it.

Since the league's inception in 1953, ACC schools have captured 105 national championships, including 56 in women's competition and 49 in men's. In addition, NCAA individual titles have gone to ACC student-athletes 139 times in men's competition and 86 times in women's action.

2006-07 Year in Review
The 2006-07 academic year concluded with league teams capturing five national team titles and 24 individual NCAA crowns. In all, the ACC has won 39 national team titles over the last 11 years. The ACC has won two or more NCAA titles in 25 of the past 27 years.

A total of 137 ACC teams placed in NCAA postseason competition in 2006-07. League teams compiled a 105-67-7 (.606) mark against nonconference opponents in NCAA championship competition. In addition, the ACC had 181 student- athletes earn first team All-America honors this past year. Overall, the league had 247 first, second or third team All-Americans. In addition, the ACC produced nine national Player of the Year and six national Coach of the Year honorees.

2006-07 National Championships

Field Hockey	Maryland
Women's Soccer	North Carolina
Women's Tennis	Georgia Tech
Women's Golf	Duke
Men's Track & Field	Florida State

The Championships
The conference will conduct championship competition in 25 sports during the 2007-08 academic year - 12 for men and 13 for women.

The first ACC championship was held in swimming on February 25, 1954. The conference did not conduct championships in cross country, wrestling or tennis during the first year.

The 12 sports for men include football, cross country, soccer, basketball, swimming, indoor and outdoor track, wrestling, baseball, tennis, golf and lacrosse. Fencing, which was started in 1971, was discontinued in 1981.

Women's sports were initiated in 1977 with the first championship meet being held in tennis at Wake Forest University.

Championships for women are currently conducted in cross country, volleyball, field hockey, soccer, basketball, swimming, indoor and outdoor track, tennis, golf, lacrosse, softball and rowing.