The ACC has spent years being discussed in terms of realignment, lawsuits, revenue gaps, and existential questions. Meanwhile, the ACC Network is trying to reposition itself around belonging, fandom, and permanence: This Is Our House.
The national conversation around the ACC has been centered on topics like: Who wants out? Who's suing whom? Who's getting left behind? How big is the revenue gap with the SEC and Big Ten? Is the ACC doomed to the fate of the Pac-12?
While the college sports world ponders the uncertain fate of one of the Power 4 conferences, the ACC Network is sending a different message this season.
This is our house. These are our schools. These are our rivalries. These are our fans. And we're here all year.
At a time when college sports seems obsessed with where everyone might be going next, the ACC Network is launching a campaign centered around where its fans already call home. That's a refreshing change from the doom-and-gloom narrative that's been dominating the interwebs and sports talk personalities.
The ACC Network doesn't just want ACC games anymore; it wants ACC fans
Tribalism is real in college sports, and the ACC Network is tapping into that emotion. The ACC has spent years explaining its business. The ACC Network is finally selling its fandom.
"Our house" goes a lot further than just being a destination for games. It plays on the idea that every school has a sanctuary, a place where the feeling of "home" goes even deeper than just a building on campus.
For Clemson, "our house" means Death Valley.
For Duke, Cameron.
For Florida State, Doak Campbell.
For Louisville, the Bucket.
For Virginia Tech, Lane Stadium.
But collectively, the ACC Network becomes the house where all the fans can gather, from season to season, sport to sport, it's their house.
“ACC fans have a connection to their schools that goes well beyond the games,” said Lauren Taylor, Director, Sports Marketing, ESPN. “That connection is built on traditions, rivalries, history, and the people who make each school unique. ‘This Is Our House’ is a way to celebrate what makes ACC fandom different and the role ACC Network plays in telling those stories throughout the year.”
ACC Network will be more than the channel you watch when your team is playing
Sports consumption has changed dramatically, and the ACC Network is leveraging that to give ACC fans more than just a place where they can watch the games. It's a 365-day gathering place for the fan base.
Football. Basketball. Baseball. Softball. Olympic sports. Studio programming. School-specific storytelling. The ACC Network is going to be the home for ACC fans to celebrate their schools and to fire up their conference pride.
From ESPN/ACC Network:
"The new platform builds on ACC Network’s year-round coverage of all 18 ACC member institutions. In addition to live events across the conference’s 28 sponsored sports, ACCN features original programming, studio shows, analysis, documentaries, and other original content designed to provide a deeper look at the teams and schools that make up one of the most storied conferences in the country."
College sports will keep changing. Conferences will evolve, schedules will shift, and the way fans watch their teams will continue to look different. But the connection between fans and the schools, traditions, and rivalries they love isn't going anywhere. The ACC Network is betting that connection is powerful enough to build an identity around.
ACC fans, this IS your house.
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