The road to the 2025 ACC Championship runs through Charlotte, as the 72nd edition of the T. Rowe Price ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament tips off March 11-15 at the Spectrum Center. This marks the 14th time Charlotte has hosted the event, including the third at Spectrum Center (previously in 2008 and 2019).
Fresh off an impressive 28-3 regular season and a dominant 19-1 conference record, No. 1 Duke enters the tournament as the team to beat. The Blue Devils secured the outright ACC regular-season title with a convincing win over rival North Carolina, earning a coveted double bye into Thursday’s quarterfinals.
Joining Duke in the quarterfinal round are:
• No. 2 Louisville (25-6, 18-2)
• No. 3 Clemson (26-5, 18-2)
• No. 4 Wake Forest (21-10, 13-7)
Wake Forest earned the final double bye by winning a key three-way tiebreaker with North Carolina and SMU.
First-Round Matchups (Tuesday, March 11)
The tournament opens with three critical matchups involving teams looking to make a Cinderella run:
• No. 12 Notre Dame (14-17, 8-12) vs. No. 13 Pitt (17-14, 8-12) – 2 p.m. ET, ACC Network
• No. 10 Virginia Tech (13-18, 8-12) vs. No. 15 California (13-18, 6-14) – 4:30 p.m. ET, ACC Network
• No. 11 Florida State (17-14, 8-12) vs. No. 14 Syracuse (13-18, 7-13) – 7 p.m. ET, ACC Network
Second-Round Showdowns (Wednesday, March 12)
The winners from Tuesday’s games will join teams that earned first-round byes:
• No. 8 Georgia Tech (16-15, 10-10) vs. No. 9 Virginia (15-16, 8-12) – Noon ET, ESPN
• No. 5 North Carolina (20-12, 13-7) vs. Notre Dame/Pitt winner – 2:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
• No. 7 Stanford (19-12, 11-9) vs. Virginia Tech/Cal winner – 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2/ESPNU
• No. 6 SMU (22-9, 13-7) vs. Florida State/Syracuse winner – 9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2/ESPNU
Quarterfinals (Thursday, March 13)
The top four seeds will begin their tournament campaigns:
• No. 1 Duke vs. Georgia Tech/Virginia winner – Noon ET, ESPN/ESPN2
• No. 4 Wake Forest vs. North Carolina/Notre Dame-Pitt winner – 2:30 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN2
• No. 2 Louisville vs. Stanford/Virginia Tech-Cal winner – 7 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN2
• No. 3 Clemson vs. SMU/Florida State-Syracuse winner – 9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN2
Key Storylines to Watch
• Duke’s Dominance: The Blue Devils are heavy favorites, but potential matchups against tough defensive teams like Wake Forest or Clemson could pose challenges.
• Louisville’s Redemption: The Cardinals quietly had an outstanding season, finishing tied with Clemson but claiming the No. 2 seed via head-to-head tiebreaker.
• ACC Newcomers: Both SMU and Stanford are making their ACC Tournament debuts, adding an intriguing dynamic.
• Bubble Watch: Teams like North Carolina and Stanford may need deep runs to solidify their NCAA Tournament hopes.
The ACC Tournament champion will be crowned on Saturday, March 15, with the title game tipping off at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
With Duke eyeing another conference title, Louisville and Clemson looking to disrupt the Blue Devils’ path, and dark horses like Wake Forest and North Carolina lurking, the 2025 ACC Tournament promises thrilling action as teams battle for a coveted spot in March Madness.
