The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is an intercollegiate athletic conference founded in 1953. Its current primary logo, launched in May 2014, centers on a slanted “ACC” wordmark set in a custom-designed font, accented by a bold silver underline. The mark was created in partnership with SME, a branding firm that worked with the conference and gathered input from member institutions, alumni and fans.[1]
Design and History
The ACC’s visual identity underwent a significant shift in 2013. On June 30 of that year, the conference retired its classic “seal” logo, which featured a map of the conference with dots marking the locations of member universities. The seal was replaced by a simpler three-letter “ACC” logo, a change driven by the conference’s ongoing membership expansion, which made a geographic map increasingly impractical.[2] The new wordmark also dropped the words “Atlantic Coast Conference” from the primary mark, making “ACC” a standalone name rather than an acronym.[3]
Less than a year later, on May 29, 2014, the ACC launched a further updated brand in preparation for its 62nd year of competition. Commissioner John Swofford said the timing was tied to the league’s expansion and the upcoming addition of Louisville on July 1: “With the recent expansion of our league and the addition of Louisville on July 1, it seemed a natural time to update our brand.”[1] The 2014 mark retained the “ACC” lettering as its centerpiece, similar to previous primary logos, but introduced a slanted, forward-leaning custom typeface and a bold silver underline.[1]
Meaning and Symbolism
The conference has documented the symbolism of its 2014 mark. The silver underline “symbolizes the ACC’s journey toward a bright future,” while the forward-leaning letterforms point toward the conference’s “ever-present goal of excellence.”[1] The new mark was also designed for versatility, allowing it to be displayed in the school colors of each of the ACC’s 15 member institutions across uniforms, merchandise, facilities and digital platforms.[1]
Typography and Design
The 2014 ACC logo is set in a custom-designed font created specifically for the league. The typeface features a slanted, forward-leaning orientation, and the lettering is paired with a bold silver underline beneath the “ACC” wordmark.[1] The design work was led by SME, a branding firm that had previously worked with the conference on multiple projects and had led major rebranding efforts for numerous sports organizations.[1]
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