ACC tournament returns to Charlotte
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The ACC moved it headquarters from Greensboro to Charlotte in 2023. Photo: Lance King/Getty Images
The ACC men's basketball tournament returns to Spectrum Center in Uptown.
Why it matters: Thousands of people will make their way to Charlotte for the tournament, staying in hotels, eating at restaurants and traveling through the city's airport.
What we're watching: The Duke Blue Devils enter as the No. 1 seed and may go on to win the ACC tournament again. Sports fans can only hope the tournament produces another matchup between the Blue Devils and the North Carolina Tar Heels like last year.
By the numbers: The tournament generated $33.8 million in economic impact for Mecklenburg County when it was here last year, according to the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority.
- More than 20,000 people came to Charlotte for last year's tournament, which resulted in more than 22,000 hotel room nights, per CRVA.
What to expect: Fourteen games will take place at Spectrum Center March 10-14, culminating in the championship on March 14 at 8:30pm.
- Find the full schedule here.
Tickets are sold per session rather than per game, meaning your ticket for Tuesday gets you into all three games.
- Wednesday and Thursday require two tickets if you want to see all four games each day, meaning you'll need a ticket for the noon and 2:30pm games (these are considered one session) and a ticket for the 7pm and 9:30pm games.
- Your ticket gets you into both games on Friday. Saturday is just one game.
- Tickets are available here.
Between the lines: Major events in Uptown bring pricey parking and traffic congestion. The CityLYNX Gold Line Streetcar and the Lynx Blue Line include stops right outside Spectrum Center.
- The Gold Line, which is currently free, runs east and west from the Elizabeth neighborhood just over the Hawthorne Lane bridge to west Charlotte near Johnson C. Smith University.
- The Blue Line runs north and south from UNC Charlotte to I-485. Weekly unlimited rides cost $30.80. One-way fare costs $2.20 for adults and $1.10 for kids and those ages 62 and older.
What's next: Charlotte will also host the ACC men's basketball tournament in 2028 and the ACC women's basketball tournament in 2027.
Zoom out: If you're visiting from out of town, we have you covered on where to eat and options for coffee to keep you fueled for all the action. And if you're only going to one session and need a sports bar to pregame at, we've got you covered there, too: