I have a “would you rather” delimma. On one hand I would like to see FSU at the top of the ACC standings at the end of the season, who knows when they will ever get another chance. But on the other hand, being the official conference champs through the tournament is considered the most prestigious accomplishment.

So which would you rather have?

I think the regular season conference champion felt better when Auburn did it, but their final four run only came because they got hot right before the conference tournament. I think I'll still stick with regular season champion.

Seeding is irrelevant - an invention of UNC's as solace to losing ACC Title Games in the 60's and 70's.

There is only one ACC Champion - determined at the Tournament

(02-04-2020 08:51 PM)Statefan Wrote:  Seeding is irrelevant - an invention of UNC's as solace to losing ACC Title Games in the 60's and 70's.

There is only one ACC Champion - determined at the Tournament

Absolutely. Nothing beats an ACC tournament championship other than a Final Four. It’s not even close.

Not that this is your question but I think winning the regular season, hence getting the #1 seed in the ACCT is extra big this season.

There's such a drop off between the top three and the rest of the league that the #1 seed will have the upper hand even more so than usual.

If I'm FSU, Duke, Louisville I'm scratching tooth and nail to win the regular season so I don't have to face one of the other two until the conference title game.

(02-05-2020 03:19 PM)marleycard Wrote:  Not that this is your question but I think winning the regular season, hence getting the #1 seed in the ACCT is extra big this season.

There's such a drop off between the top three and the rest of the league that the #1 seed will have the upper hand even more so than usual.

If I'm FSU, Duke, Louisville I'm scratching tooth and nail to win the regular season so I don't have to face one of the other two until the conference title game.

Good point.

(02-05-2020 04:24 PM)Garrettabc Wrote:  

(02-05-2020 03:19 PM)marleycard Wrote:  Not that this is your question but I think winning the regular season, hence getting the #1 seed in the ACCT is extra big this season.

There's such a drop off between the top three and the rest of the league that the #1 seed will have the upper hand even more so than usual.

If I'm FSU, Duke, Louisville I'm scratching tooth and nail to win the regular season so I don't have to face one of the other two until the conference title game.

Good point.

Also, its a lot harder to be #1 after playing 20 games than it is after just 3. Or even an 0-20 team can get hot & win 5. Either way you’re dancing.


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It kinda depends.

One is a whole body of work, the other is luck and great play over several days.

Having played in the Old New Big East.....lol
I would have to say winning the regular season was SUCH A GRIND you felt like it was so well earned and should be cherished. However winning the Big East Tourney was AMAZINGLY AWESOME as well....and that too was a grind!!



SO.....in conclusion. I WANT them BOTH!!!

For most conferences, you obviously want to win the conference tournament. I personally disagree that autobids should go to conference tournament champions but that's up to the conference.

For the ACC, I'd say the conference regular season championship is more important:
1) You get a championship in usually the most difficult basketball conference
2) You get good seeding for the conference tournament
3) Regardless of the conference tournament result, you will likely be a very high seed in the national tournament
--- The last time an ACC regular season champion was NOT a #1 or #2 seed in the national tournament was co-champion Maryland in 2010 (#4 seed). The last time an ACC regular season champion was lower than a #4 seed was Clemson in 1990 (#5 seed).

By tournament time, nobody even remembers the regular season.

The tournament winner also gets the title "conference champion" going into the NCAA, so I know what I would pick.

(02-07-2020 04:39 PM)Bear Catlett Wrote:  By tournament time, nobody even remembers the regular season.

The tournament winner also gets the title "conference champion" going into the NCAA, so I know what I would pick.

If you’re a fan of a team that has actually WON the ACC Tournament, this isn’t a tough question. LOL. So much of this thread is like Clemson fans saying that winning at Chapel Hill isn’t that important until their team actually wins and then they say that win was more important to them than a national championship in football.

Without a round robin there is no way to determine a champion in basketball during the regular season. That's why the Southern Conference played a tournament for the basketball title from 1921. It's one thing to piss on history for money, but to do it only due to ignorance is a shame.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_So..._champions


For Christ's Sake the conference ballooned to 23 by the time the 13 SEC schools left in 1933, and had ballooned back to 17 by the time ACC schools left in 1953.

Over the past 25 years, the regular season champion has gone on to also win the ACCT 11 times. The #3 seeds have won 7 times, and the #2 seed a total of 5 times. In 2004, the #6 seeded Terps won, while #5 seed Duke took the title in 2017 (which says a lot about how strong the league was that year).

During that span, 7 current ACC members won at least one tournament title, led by Duke with 12 crowns. Carolina won 5, Wake Forest and Virginia 2 each. FSU, Miami and Notre Dame won one each.

Of the 11 #1 seeds who went on to win the ACCT, Duke did it 4 times (out of 7 tries), UNC 3 times (out of 9), Virginia twice (out of 4), Wake Forest 1 of 2 and Miami once in the only year they were top seed.

This isn’t to say the regular season is necessarily more important, but the almost angry argument that the regular season doesn’t matter is a very odd hill to die on, and is ACC only thing. I don’t think the insular NC based fans realize how odd it sounds to people from outside the ACC. I’d NEVER heard people diss the regular season until I started frequenting this board, and the sentiment is the exception nationally.

(02-08-2020 11:51 PM)CollegeCard Wrote:  This isn’t to say the regular season is necessarily more important, but the almost angry argument that the regular season doesn’t matter is a very odd hill to die on, and is ACC only thing. I don’t think the insular NC based fans realize how odd it sounds to people from outside the ACC. I’d NEVER heard people diss the regular season until I started frequenting this board, and the sentiment is the exception nationally.

Totally agree -- with all the conferences we have been in over the years this is the only one that doesn't want to recognize the season champ. Granted the NCAA gets to decide to give the autobid to the tourney winner -- but it's crazy to ignore the team that won over 3-4 months of play for the team who had a good couple of days of being hot. That was the worst thing about being in conferences that are only given one bid total -- you can go the whole season winning and not make the tourney. Just doesn't seem right -- but understand there has to be a line somewhere.

When was the last time that an ACC team earned an NCAAT bid by winning the ACCT that they wouldn't have gotten anyway based on their regular season performance?

(02-09-2020 08:39 AM)ken d Wrote:  When was the last time that an ACC team earned an NCAAT bid by winning the ACCT that they wouldn't have gotten anyway based on their regular season performance?

I don’t remember at all. It’s not likely to happen because the deck is so stacked against the lower seeds with the top teams getting byes and double byes. Much easier to win 3 games in a row in an 8 team tournament than 5 in a 15 team tournament. UNC might have as good of a chance as anybody has had and I would not count out ND or SU.

(02-09-2020 12:38 PM)Garrettabc Wrote:  

(02-09-2020 08:39 AM)ken d Wrote:  When was the last time that an ACC team earned an NCAAT bid by winning the ACCT that they wouldn't have gotten anyway based on their regular season performance?

I don’t remember at all. It’s not likely to happen because the deck is so stacked against the lower seeds with the top teams getting byes and double byes. Much easier to win 3 games in a row in an 8 team tournament than 5 in a 15 team tournament. UNC might have as good of a chance as anybody has had and I would not count out ND or SU.

Digging a little, perhaps Georgia Tech in 1993. Finished the season 19-11 (8-8 ACC, 6th seed out of 9 schools). ACC Tournament - beat 3rd seed and #8 Duke, then beat 7th seed Clemson who upset 2nd seed and #10 Florida St, then beat 1st seed and #1 North Carolina who went on to win the national championship. Georgia Tech lost to Southern in the 1st round.