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March Madness Loaded Up With Seven ACC Teams in the Big Dance

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Seven Atlantic Coast Conference programs earned bids to the 2021 NCAA Tournament. Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Syracuse, Virginia and Virginia Tech were selected to compete in the event, which begins Thursday, with all games this year being contested in the Indianapolis area.

This marks the seventh time – and the fifth straight tournament – the ACC has placed at least seven teams in the NCAA Tournament field. Nine from the conference earned bids in 2017 and 2018. Seven ACC teams also made the field in 2007, 2009, 2016 and 2019.

Virginia (18-6) earned a No. 4 seed in the West Region and will play Saturday against No. 13 seed Ohio University (16-7). The reigning national champions, the Cavaliers are making their 24th appearance in the tournament, including their school-record seventh straight and their eighth in the last nine tournaments under head coach Tony Bennett. Virginia is 35-22 all-time in the NCAAs, including Final Four appearances in 1981, 1984 and 2019.

Florida State (16-6) earned a No. 4 seed in the East Region and will face No. 13 seed UNC Greensboro (21-8) on Saturday. FSU will play in its fourth consecutive tournament and 18th all-time. Florida State is 21-17 in NCAA play and making its eighth trip to the tournament under head coach Leonard Hamilton.

Virginia Tech (15-6) picked up the No. 10 seed in the South Region and will battle No. 7 seed Florida (14-9) on Friday. The Hokies will be making their 12th NCAA Tournament appearance and their fourth straight. This is Virginia Tech’s first tournament berth under second-year head coach Mike Young. Virginia Tech holds an 8-11 record in NCAA play.

ACC Champion Georgia Tech (17-8) earned a No. 9 seed in the Midwest Region and will play Loyola Chicago (24-4) on Friday. The Yellow Jackets are making their first NCAA tournament appearance since 2010, snapping the second-longest current drought among ACC programs. This is Georgia Tech’s 17th appearance in the tournament. The Jackets hold a 23-16 all-time record in the event, with Final Four appearances in 1990 and 2004.

North Carolina (18-10) earned a No. 8 seed in the South Region and will play No. 9 seed Wisconsin (17-12) on Friday. UNC will make its 51st appearance in the NCAA Tournament – most of any ACC program. The Tar Heels own a 126-47 record in the tournament with NCAA Championships in 1957, 1982, 1993, 2005, 2009 and 2017. The last three national titles came under current head coach Roy Williams, who is leading the Tar Heels to the NCAA Tournament for the 16th time.

Clemson (16-7) claimed a No. 7 seed in the Midwest Region and will face No. 10 seed Rutgers (15-11) on Friday. Clemson is making its 12th all-time appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The Tigers are 9-11 in the tournament.

Syracuse (16-9) picked up the No. 11 seed in the Midwest Region and will battle No. 6 seed San Diego State (23-4) on Friday. The Orange will be appearing in the NCAA Tournament field for the 41st time and the 35th under current head coach Jim Boeheim. Syracuse owns a 64-40 all-time mark in the NCAA Tournament, including the 2003 national title.

Louisville (13-7) was not named to the Field of 68 but was selected as the first alternate to the tournament. Should a team have to bow out of the tournament prior to Tuesday because of COVID issues, the Cardinals would move into the tournament field.

The ACC is the winningest conference in NCAA Tournament history with a .654 winning percentage and is the only conference in the nation that has not had a losing record in NCAA Tournament play since 1987. Programs currently in the ACC have combined to win 17 NCAA Championships. League teams have combined to win a record 74 NCAA Tournament games in the last five tournaments while placing five teams in the Final Four and earning three national titles (Duke 2015, North Carolina 2017 and Virginia 2019).