The Atlantic Coast Conference Council of Presidents announced Monday that it has unanimously adopted a series of changes to the ACC Constitution and By-Laws that will go into effect on July 1, thus enabling the leadership to more effectively engage in best practices across all levels of its governance and administration. In particular, the 15 league presidents and chancellors will now serve as the ACC’s Board of Directors and continue to have ultimate authority over all conference affairs.
Syracuse University Chancellor Kent Syverud will serve as the chair of the board, while Duke University President Vincent Price will serve as vice-chair, and ACC Commissioner John Swofford will also be the conference’s chief executive officer. The chair and vice-chair of the board will each serve an initial term of one year, and their respective successors will serve two-year terms.
“The 15 member institutions of the ACC shared a common vision that we needed a more nimble and modern governance system to meet the challenges currently facing collegiate athletics,” said Chancellor Syverud. “We are committed to further delivering fulfilling experiences for our student-athletes while also carrying out our broader academic, campus and community missions. I am delighted that we could coalesce so quickly around these priorities, which should provide us an effective platform for the successful stewardship of the conference in the years ahead.”
“I applaud our presidents and chancellors for taking this timely step to further modernize the league’s governance structure, which allows the presidents to be updated and involved on a real-time basis,” said Swofford. “This new structure best positions our conference to address the ever-changing landscape in college athletics, and I’m confident it will serve us well in the immediate and long-term future.”
In addition to the ACC Board of Directors, the newly constituted Executive Committee will include Chancellor Syverud and President Price, who will be joined by President James Clements (Clemson University), Chancellor Randy Woodson (North Carolina State University), President Neeli Bendapudi (University of Louisville) and President James Ryan (University of Virginia). The remaining members are represented on other key committees such as Finance, Audit and Autonomy, and will rotate onto the Executive Committee as terms expire.
The chair of the Faculty Athletic Representatives for the 2020-21 academic year will be Lissa Broome (University of North Carolina). Blake James (University of Miami) will be the chair of the Athletics Directors, and Vanessa Fuchs (Florida State University) will serve as the chair of the Senior Woman Administrators.
