John Swofford

Year Inducted: 2014

Now in his 17th year as ACC Commissioner, John Swofford has made a dramatic impact on the Atlantic Coast Conference and college athletics. The longest-tenured commissioner and only the fourth in ACC history, Swofford is regarded as one of the top administrators in the NCAA and has built his career on the appropriate balance of academics, athletic achievement and integrity. Swofford has been pivotal in positioning the ACC for the future.

On April 22, 2013, spearheaded by Swofford and the leadership of its institutions, the Council of Presidents announced that each of its current and future 15 members had signed a grant of media rights. In addition to highlighting the solidarity and commitment of the ACC membership, the move further secured the league’s future and its position as one of the nation's premier conferences.

In recent years, on behalf of the league’s member institutions and the ACC Council of Presidents, Swofford has introduced Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Syracuse and Louisville as the newest members of the ACC, with Louisville set to join on July 1, 2014.

Swofford was instrumental in shaping the new postseason format for college football and as a part of the new format, the ACC and Orange Bowl Committee announced a 12-year agreement that annually features the ACC Champion in the Discover Orange Bowl. In May of 2012, his leadership and negotiating skills helped the conference extend its exclusive, multi-platform agreement with ESPN.

Swofford, a Wilkes Central graduate, was a Morehead scholar at the University of North Carolina and played on UNC’s 1971 ACC Football Championship team. He served as UNC’s Director of Athletics from 1980-1997. He began his career in athletic administration at the University of Virginia in 1973. Swofford and his wife Nora reside in Greensboro, North Carolina, and they have three children.