Orlando to host 2016 ACC Football Championship
The Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship is coming to Orlando in 2016. The Atlantic Coast Conference announced today that its annual conference championship game featuring the winner of their Atlantic and Coastal Divisions will be played at Camping World Stadium on December 3, 2016. The game will kick off in primetime and be televised live at 8 p.m. EST on ABC.
The ACC currently has four teams ranked in the Top 15 of the AP Poll, with No. 3 Louisville and No. 5 Clemson leading the way. No. 14 Miami and Wake Forest also sport undefeated records at this stage in the season giving the ACC the second-most unbeaten teams remaining among all FBS conferences. In Week Four of the 2016 season, the conference went a perfect 8-0 in non-conference games.
“We’re thrilled to bring more bigtime college football to Orlando,” said Steve Hogan, CEO of Florida Citrus Sports. “The Atlantic Coast Conference has been a tremendous partner of ours for decades and we are grateful for the opportunity to bring their showcase football event to Camping World Stadium.”
Each of the past three ACC Championship Games have featured a team ranked No. 1 or No. 2 in the nation. Each of the last two matchups has featured two Top 15 teams and a margin of victory of one score or less. The winner in each of the previous three games has had an opportunity to play for a national championship, either through the BCS National Championship game or the College Football Playoff. Two of the past three matchups have also featured a Heisman Finalist including quarterback Jameis Winston, who was awarded the Heisman Trophy in 2013 before leading Florida State to the BCS National Championship that season. Last season’s game saw CFP finalist No. 1 Clemson defeat No. 8 North Carolina, 45-37.
This will be the second of a possible four games featuring an ACC team to be played in Camping World Stadium this season. In the first, Florida State rattled off 33 straight points in a come-from-behind win against Ole Miss in the inaugural Camping World Kickoff on Labor Day.
The ACC is no stranger to postseason play in Orlando and could potentially appear in both bowl games in town this postseason. The Russell Athletic Bowl features a traditional ACC vs. Big 12 matchup while the Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl could potentially see an ACC team face off against the SEC this season if the Orange Bowl selects a Big Ten team for their non-semifinal game.
Florida Citrus Sports members will receive priority access to purchase ACC Championship tickets over the next week before the public onsale begins later this fall.