ACC Football Championship MVP Award named in honor of John Swofford

the ACC title MVP trophy is now named after Swofford

by Press Release - Sat Dec 04 08:34:22 GMT-04:00 2021

GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – The Atlantic Coast Conference's most valuable player trophy for the annual ACC Football Championship Game will be named the John D. Swofford Most Valuable Player Award.

“There is no one more deserving of this honor than John Swofford,” said ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips, Ph.D. “His transformational leadership has meant so much to our league. There is a tremendous appreciation throughout the ACC and nationally for what John has meant to college athletics and as a friend to so many. We are deeply indebted to him for his long tenure and unparalleled accomplishments.”

The longest-tenured commissioner in the 68-year history of the Atlantic Coast Conference, Swofford was instrumental in the creation and development of the ACC Football Championship Game. The inaugural game was played in 2005 and annually is one of the premier contests on the college football calendar.

“This is an incredible honor and I’m extremely humbled,” said Swofford. “The creation of the ACC Football Championship Game was a significant milestone for the league, and it continues to be one the premier annual events. It was a privilege to serve as commissioner of this extraordinary conference and it’s an honor to forever be part of its history.”

Swofford served 24 years as the ACC’s commissioner and guided the league to unprecedented stability, success and growth, expanding from nine to 15 members beginning with Miami and Virginia Tech in 2004, quickly followed by Boston College and later joined by Pitt, Syracuse, Notre Dame and Louisville.

Today’s ACC spans the entire eastern seaboard, giving it the largest geographical footprint and population among all Autonomy 5 conferences. Expansion allowed the league to secure its future through the grant of media rights, creation of the ACC Football Championship Game, an invaluable partnership with the Orange Bowl, and joining with ESPN in August 2019 to establish the ACC Network, which provides fans exceptional access to live events via a comprehensive, multi-platform network.

The 2021 Subway ACC Football Championship Game features No. 16 Pitt vs. No. 15 Wake Forest in a battle of two of the top offenses in the country. The game will kick off at 8 p.m. on ABC from Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 4.