ACC, A-10 STRIKE DEAL TO GET
ACC TOURNAMENT TO NEW YORK
NEW YORK, NY (AP) — In its quest to play on
the country's biggest stage, the Atlantic Coast
Conference (ACC) is finalizing plans to move its
postseason tournament to the Barclays Center
in Brooklyn, N.Y. With banners celebrating the
Nets and Jay-Z's concert sellout streak over his
shoulder, ACC Commissioner John Swofford
made the announcement in late March.
"We have a different footprint now, so
moving to the north, like New York, is probably
in the future," Swofford said. "They have
amazing facilities there, but it depends on their
availabilities." The Atlantic Coast Conference will
crown its champion at Barclays Center in 2017
and '18 under a deal made official March 24th.
The ACC has solid plans to play in
Greensboro once more – in 2015 – and a
commitment to play the 2016 ACC Tournament
at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. But it
has been no secret that the recent and ongoing
round of tournament realignment would mean
long-term changes to some ACC traditions.
Madison Square Garden is locked in
a contract with the Big East, so the Barclays
Center is the obvious next target. In Brooklyn,
EXECUTIVE FIGHT NIGHT COMING TO DURHAM
the Atlantic 10 (A-10) has a five-year deal that
runs through 2017.
What the ACC has proposed is a series of
regular-season doubleheaders at the Barclays
Center between the two conferences which
would be good for both parties but especially
the Atlantic 10. It also sends ACC teams to the
Barclays during the regular season to get a feel
for the building where you are going to contest
your conference championship.
A-10 teams would also benefit from the
Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) and strengthof-schedule boost playing upper-echelon ACC
teams could bring.
Washington, D.C. has been discussed as
a "very sensible" location for any future A-10
tournament. The conference includes two D.C.area teams, George Washington and George
Mason, along with Virginia Commonwealth
University and Richmond whose fans could
make the quick trip to the nation's capital.
The ACC Tournament has been held in
seven different cities and 11 venues since the
inaugural event in March of 1954.
SHAW TO HOST PROJECT LIFE
MOVEMENT
RALEIGH, N.C. – The Shaw
University Department of
Athletics is hosting a bone
marrow drive in support of
Project Life Movement on
Wednesday, April 23 from 10:00
a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the school’s
C.C. Spaulding Gymnasium.
Project Life is a national
movement to increase the
potential pool of bone marrow
and tissue donors by testing
and registering college students
with a simple cheek swab. The
swabbing and completion of registration information takes less than 10 minutes. It only takes one
person to provide a life-saving miracle and cure for a patient.
Aside from Shaw faculty, staff and students, any donor is eligible but must be between the
ages of 18 and 60 and in good health. Eighty-seven million people are registered organ donors
in the United States, but just nine million are registered bone marrow donors. Three thousand
people die each year while waiting for a bone-marrow treatment.
Bone marrow treatments are the only hope for many people diagnosed with leukemia,
lymphoma, sickle cell anemia and other blood cancers and diseases, but 60 percent of those in
need of a life-giving donation currently can’t find a donor match.
All CIAA schools have either had or will hold drives this academic year as a part of a
conference-wide initiative, assisting ambassadors such as Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke
Kuechly in