The Atlantic Coast Conference started play in 1953. Originally, there were eight schools in the ACC, but today there are twelve: Florida State, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Virginia, Georgia Tech, Clemson, Duke, Maryland, Wake Forest, Miami, Virginia Tech, and Boston College. All but one of the original members remains a part of the ACC.

The ACC is typically referred to as a basketball conference, and is often among the best conferences in the nation in basketball. It has two of the strongest programs in the nation in North Carolina, which has won the NCAA title five times, and Duke, which has won three championships. UNC is also the winningest program in the history of the NCAA tourney. http://hoopstournament.net/Team_Reports/Scores/North_Carolina.pdf The ACC also has a handful of second-tier programs such as Wake Forest, Maryland (which won the 2002 titles), and Georgia Tech. Typically the ACC has a large number of NCAA tournament entrants, with seven making the season-ending tournament in 2009 http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/viewbracket. However, the league has been uncharacteristically weak in 2010, with just one ranked team (Duke), and the number of entrants is likely to drop.

The ACC has a long history of producing top-flight NBA players. Michael Jordan came out of UNC in 1984, and Tim Duncan graduated from Wake Forest in 1998. In addition, some of the sport's most successful coaches, such as UNC's Dean Smith and Roy Williams, Maryland's Gary Williams, and Duke's Mike Krzyzewski.

North Carolina is conference's most successful team in recent years. Since 2000, UNC has reached the final four on four occasions, and won the NCAA title twice (in 2009 and 2005).http://hoopstournament.net/Team_Reports/Scores/North_Carolina.pdf Duke and Marylandhttp://hoopstournament.net/Team_Reports/Scores/Maryland.pdf have a title and two final four appearances apiece.

• Boston College Eagles
• Clemson Tigers
• Duke Blue Devils
• Florida State Seminoles
• Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
• Maryland Terrapins
• Miami Hurricanes
• North Carolina Tar Heels
• NC State Wolfpack
• Virginia Cavaliers
• Virginia Tech Hokies
• Wake Forest Demon Deacons

• 2009: Duke Blue Devils
• 2008: North Carolina Tar HeelsOfficial Site: ACC Basketball Media Guide
• 2007: North Carolina Tar HeelsOfficial Site: ACC Basketball Media Guide
• 2006: Duke Blue DevilsOfficial Site: ACC Basketball Media Guide
• 2005: Duke Blue DevilsOfficial Site: ACC Basketball Media Guide
• 2004: Maryland TerrapinsOfficial Site: ACC Basketball Media Guide
• 2003: Duke Blue DevilsOfficial Site: ACC Basketball Media Guide
• 2002: Duke Blue DevilsOfficial Site: ACC Basketball Media Guide
• 2001: Duke Blue DevilsOfficial Site: ACC Basketball Media Guide
• 2000: Duke Blue DevilsOfficial Site: ACC Basketball Media Guide
• 1999: Duke Blue DevilsOfficial Site: ACC Basketball Media Guide
• 1998: North Carolina Tar HeelsOfficial Site: ACC Basketball Media Guide
• 1997: North Carolina Tar HeelsOfficial Site: ACC Basketball Media Guide
• 1996: Wake Forest Demon DeaconsOfficial Site: ACC Basketball Media Guide
• 1995: Wake Forest Demon DeaconsOfficial Site: ACC Basketball Media Guide
• 1994: North Carolina Tar HeelsOfficial Site: ACC Basketball Media Guide
• 1993: Georgia Tech Yellow JacketsOfficial Site: ACC Basketball Media Guide
• 1992: Duke Blue DevilsOfficial Site: ACC Basketball Media Guide
• 1991: North Carolina Tar HeelsOfficial Site: ACC Basketball Media Guide
• 1990: Georgia Tech Yellow JacketsOfficial Site: ACC Basketball Media Guide
• 1989: North Carolina Tar HeelsOfficial Site: ACC Basketball Media Guide