Wednesday, November 13, 2013

ACC Baseball - A Return Engagement


The Bulls hosted the record setting ACC Baseball Championships this past spring. The event moves to Greensboro next year, but thereafter, we want the tournament to return to Durham.

The Atlantic Coast Conference issued an RFP for cities to host the championships in 2015 through 2018. Proposals were due last Friday, and we delivered Durham’s pitch with a personal touch. 

Wool E. Bull presented our bid to Kris Pierce, Senior Associate Commissioner of the ACC for the league’s championship events. Paparazzi hid in the bushes - click here for the video.

Wool E. Bull delivers the Durham bid to Kris Pierce
at Wake Med Soccer Park in Cary - site of the ACC
women's soccer tournament.

In early 2014 the Conference will be evaluating the bids – attempting to determine which city (or cities) will be the best fit for the annual baseball championships. I’m thinking that community and local business support will be a major factor. 

The ten competing teams will bring their own entourage of fans and player families, but the ACC wants to know that the stands will be filled with “locals.” It seems to work that way in Birmingham Alabama where the SEC baseball tournament has been held for sixteen years, and of course, there’s Omaha where the NCAA baseball champion is crowned each year. That’s our aspiration for Durham and the Triangle!

Hill Carrow of Sports & Properties Inc., assisting with the
project, gives a helping hand to Bulls GM Mike Birling.

The box contained bound copies of the Durham 
proposal as well as an iPad version.

During the fall and winter the Bulls will work alongside the Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce (serving as the Local Organizing Committee) and the Triangle Sports Commission to tell Durham's story to the ACC.