ACC Baseball Championship returns to DBAP in 2023

Greensboro, N.C. — The ACC baseball championship is returning to Durham in May.

The 12-team event will be held May 23 through May 28 at Durham Bulls Athletic Park, the ACC and the Durham Bulls announced Wednesday. Durham has hosted the tournament seven times since 2009, including in 2018 and 2019.

"We've seen record crowds over the years at Durham, and the fans have shown us a lot of support," Jessica Rippey, the league's baseball administrator, told WRAL on Wednesday. "All of that combined makes for a great championship."

The tournament's single-game attendance record (11,329) was set at the park in 2013 for a game between North Carolina and NC State. It is still the largest crowd for a college baseball game in the state.

The 2015 title game crowd of 9,759 for NC State and Florida State in Durham is the second largest for the tournament championship game. Last year's title game between North Carolina and NC State at Charlotte's Truist Field attracted a sellout crowd of 10,500.

“Our teams and fans always appreciate the first-class experience at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park, and we’ve not only set attendance records, but have enjoyed some of the most exciting games in the history of the ACC Baseball Championship," ACC commissioner Jim Phillips said in a statement.

As part of a $15-million incentive package from the state to keep the league's headquarters in North Carolina, the ACC must host four baseball championships in the state by 2034. The 2023 event counts as one of them. The ACC recently announced it would move its headquarters from Greensboro to Charlotte and qualify for the incentives.

The ACC has hosted the baseball tournament in North Carolina each year, but one, since 2009 with Durham, Greensboro and Charlotte each hosting the event. Rippey credited the Bulls and their staff with making the league, teams, players and coaches feel "at home" during championships in Durham.

"The effort that crew puts in, she said. "They take pristine care of the field. Every little detail is in place."

Durham Bulls Athletic Park has played host to the ACC Baseball Championship 10 times previously, most recently in 2019. The total attendance of 64,140 for the 2015 Championship was the third largest in tournament history.

Said Durham Bulls vice president Mike Birling: "We are proud to once again partner with the ACC to bring its baseball championship to Durham Bulls Athletic Park and the Triangle to showcase the best college baseball in the country."

The league has had a representative at the College World Series in each of the last 16 years. Six ACC teams are ranked in Baseball America's "never too early" top 25, including No. 5 Louisville, No. 6 Miami and No. 9 Wake Forest.

The 2021 championship in Charlotte had an estimated economic impact of $10.9 million with about $6.0 million in direct visitor spending, according to the ACC. The 15 games, played over 11 sessions, drew nearly 59,000 in total attendance. Nearly 3 in 10 visitors travled at least 50 miles for the event.

“Each championship event is a unique opportunity to showcase Durham as a championship hub, particularly when such a premier event returns for a remarkable 13th time,” said Marcus Manning, executive director of the Durham Sports Commission.

The ACC announced its other championship sites and venues in May, but had to wait until the minor league baseball scheduled was finalized before picking a site for the baseball championship. The Durham Bulls, who won their second consecutive Triple-A championship this year, are on the road the week of the event.