ACC football championship game moved to Orlando

For the first five years of its existence, the ACC played its football title game within the Sunshine State, seizing on the opportunity to escape freezing temperatures northward along the Atlantic seaboard by taking advantage of the footprint it had forged by having two member schools in the southernmost state in the contiguous US.

Jacksonville handled the first hosting duties for three years, starting in 2005, and after that, Tampa took over for two years. Since then, the conference’s football title has been decided in Charlotte, North Carolina. But now that championship will once again be decided on Floridian soil.

Due to ethical objections to North Carolina’s controversial House Bill 2, the ACC decided to pull its athletic championships from the Tarheel State. Orlando jumped on the opportunity, and as reported by ESPN’s Brett McMurphy on Wednesday night, The City Beautiful will host the football title game for the first time. (Update: On Thursday, the move was officially announced by the ACC)

Of course, the Florida State Seminoles have already played in Orlando’s Camping World Stadium twice in 2016: in April for their annual Garnet and Gold Spring Game, and again in September in their season-opening win over Ole Miss.