The Atlantic Coast Conference baseball championship will be played at NewBridge Bank Park in Greensboro, North Carolina, in 2012, and the Durham Bulls Athletic Park in 2011 and 2013.  The ACC also recently announced that the 2010 championship will be in Greensboro.

The 2011-13 championships were originally awarded to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The ACC’s decision to hold the tournament there, though, was made with the stipulation that discussions be held and agreements made with local and state organizations that had voiced concerns over the Confederate battle flag being flown on the state grounds of the South Carolina state capitol.

Since 2000, the conference has supported the NAACP’s statements concerning the flag issue and followed the NCAA’s policy of not holding predetermined championships in South Carolina. In 2005, conference presidents agreed that the ACC would be willing to consider awarding league championships to sites in South Carolina on a case-by-case basis, provided that the host-site proposal included a plan to work with the NAACP at the local and state levels to ensure a proper environment.

“Our baseball committee and institutional administrators awarded the championships to Myrtle Beach with the understanding that the event had the blessings of all parties within the state of South Carolina,” said ACC Commissioner John Swofford.

“It has become clear this was not the case. It’s unfortunate that this miscommunication occurred and since the original announcement, we have had productive conversations with members of the NAACP. In the end, given the conference’s commitment to diversity, equality and human rights, our institutions have determined that this change should be made.”