Atlantic Coast Conference

Tax-deductible

Charlotte, NC501(c)(3)Since 1953Recreation & SportsEIN 56-0599082Revenue $826.5M in FY2025

On file with the IRStheacc.com620 S Tryon St Suite 1200, 28202-1842 · Charlotte, NCTax-exempt since Jun 1955Supporting organization — 509(a)(3)

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The Atlantic Coast Conference, through its member institutions, seeks to maximize the educational and athletic opportunities of its student-athletes while enriching their quality of life. IT strives to DO so by affording individuals equitable opportunity to pursue academic excellence and compete successfully at the highest level of intercollegiate athletics competition in a broad spectrum of sports and championships. The Conference will provide leadership in attaining these goals, by promoting inclusion and mutual trust among its member institutions, in a spirit of fairness for all. IT strongly adheres to the principles of integrity and sportsmanship, and supports the total development of the student-athlete and each member institution's athletics departmental staff, with the intent of producing enlightened leadership for tomorrow.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
96¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$6.9M paid to officers and key staff.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · Pay: Part VII

Before you give

FY2025 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
IRS status
501(c)(3)
not on the IRS revocation list
Looks good: listed by the IRS and not on the revocation list.
IRS BMF · Auto-Revocation List
Tax-deductible gifts
Yes
Donations are tax-deductible
Looks good: the IRS lists gifts to it as deductible.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS BMF
Latest return
FY2025
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2025, 1 tax year back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
5 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $11.4M a year · 2% of revenue · last 6 filings
Fine: a surplus in 5 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
96%
of spending
Looks good: 96% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$6.9M
to officers and key staff · 0.9% of spending
Top officer’s pay higher than 76% of similar orgs
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 1% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
2 mo
of spending, in cash
Fine: 2.2 months of spending in cash; 1 to 3.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
7
named funders · $61.4M
Looks good: 7 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$431.4M
118% of total assets
Concern: liabilities are 118% of assets; over 80%.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
18
of 18 voting members
Looks good: 18 of 18 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$826.5M
+16% vs prior year
Spent
$789.2M
To programs
96%
Net assets
−$67.0M
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$826.5M
FY2025▲ +16%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$496.7M
FY2021$578.3M
FY2022$617.0M
FY2023$706.6M
FY2024$711.4M
FY2025$826.5M
Expenses
$789.2M
FY2025▲ +12%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$499.5M
FY2021$572.5M
FY2022$606.9M
FY2023$694.3M
FY2024$705.4M
FY2025$789.2M
Net assets
−$67.0M
FY2025▼ -195%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$37.4M
FY2021$43.1M
FY2022$51.8M
FY2023$64.3M
FY2024$70.7M
FY2025−$67.0M

From the FY2025 Form 990 (year ending June 2025) · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Jun 1955.

IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File

Where the money goes

96 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 96% · $759.4M Management & general 4% · $29.8M

Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.

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Who runs it and what they're paid

26 people listed on the 990; $6.9M paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2024); the FY2025 filing did not itemize Part VII
$4,419,695Pt VII · Sec A
Chief Legal Officer & General Counsel
$594,034Pt VII · Sec A
Treasurer
$399,826Pt VII · Sec A
SVP, Men's Basketball
$339,603Pt VII · Sec A
$329,710Pt VII · Sec A
Chief Communications Officer
$301,558Pt VII · Sec A
SVP, Football
$287,389Pt VII · Sec A
Supervisor of Football Officials
$238,226Pt VII · Sec A

James Phillips’s $4.4M as President is at the 76th percentile of top reported officer pay among 21 $100M+ recreation & sports nonprofits. Peer set: organizations in the same NTEE major field of work and revenue-size band, compared on each org’s own highest-paid officer/key-employee, from Form 990 Part VII / 990-PF Part VIII. Descriptive placement, not a verdict on whether the pay is appropriate.

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 8 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
James Phillips$4,419,695$3,947,917$2,625,000$2,400,805——
John Swofford——$2,559,700$3,222,365$3,405,716$3,868,751
Pearlynn Houck$594,034$389,147————
Ben Tario$399,826$518,354$318,916$290,182$218,360$211,329
Paul Brazeau$339,603$340,422$322,240$274,791$289,625$288,606
Brad Hostetter$329,710$336,343$311,523$296,794$269,522$261,547
Amy Yakola$301,558$304,004$284,867$265,032$247,999$250,754
Michael Strickland$287,389$287,406$267,335$251,162$234,057$234,126

Total reportable compensation (Form 990 Part VII column D / Schedule J column E) by filing year, matched by name within this organization. The Schedule J base / bonus / deferred breakdown is not parsed into this dataset.

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Questions the 990 asks

The form asks each of these directly. These are the filed answers.

  • Family or business ties among officersPt VI · Ln 2No
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes

Programs and updates

Supports student-athletes in pursuing academic excellence and athletic competition.

Questions for Atlantic Coast Conference

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $759.4M · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

The conference exists to promote and regulate inter-collegiate athletic programs for and among eighteen member institutions, all of which are non-profit educational institutions.

$759.4Mprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.

Grants

Schedule I · received and paid
Grants received · FY2024
See all 7 funders →
Grants paid · 95 grants · $3.6B · 2019–2024
Clemson UniversityFY2024$55,129,046
Syracuse UniversityNY · FY2024$49,448,990
University of MiamiFL · FY2024$48,250,645
Duke UniversityNC · FY2024$48,236,296
University of LouisvilleFY2024$47,381,878
Boston College TrusteesMA · FY2024$47,087,682
Virginia TechFY2024$46,546,737
NC State UniversityFY2024$46,461,278
University of PittsburghPA · FY2024$46,304,685
Florida State UniversityFL · FY2024$43,601,179
Wake Forest UniversityNC · FY2024$42,814,168
University of Notre Dame Du LacIN · FY2024$18,142,243
Southern Methodist UniversityTX · FY2024$17,065,303
See all 95 grants →

By the numbers

The FY2025 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$826.5M
Ln 12
Fees for servicesLn 2g$816.8M
Investment incomeLn 3$7.5M
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$2.1M
Money outPt IX
$789.2M
Ln 25
Programscol B$759.4M
Managementcol C$29.8M
Owns and owesPt X
−$67.0M
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$147.3M
Total assetsLn 16$364.4M
LiabilitiesLn 26$431.4M
PeoplePt VI, VII
26
listed · VII A
PaidVII A8
Voting boardVI 1a18
IndependentVI 1b18
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$2.1M
Government grantsLn 1e$1.0M
Noncash giftsLn 1g$20K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$816.8M
Investment incomeLn 3$7.5M
Gains on assetsLn 7$552K
Total revenueLn 12$826.5M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
SavingsLn 2$147.3M
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$147.3M
InvestmentsLn 11–13$4.5M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$6.6M
Total assetsLn 16$364.4M
LiabilitiesLn 26$431.4M
Net assetsLn 32−$67.0M
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 557
VolunteersI 60
Fiscal year endsHeaderJune
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes
Records policyVI 14Yes
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY25End FY25
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$20.4M$147.3M
InvestmentsLn 11–13$59.1M$4.5M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$11.2M$6.6M
Total assetsLn 16$274.0M$364.4M
LiabilitiesLn 26$203.4M$431.4M
Net assetsLn 32$70.7M−$67.0M
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic organizationsLn 1$736.6M$736.6M
Grants to domestic individualsLn 2$315K$315K
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$5.1M$5.1M
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$6.6M$6.6M
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$882K$882K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$1.7M$1.7M
Payroll taxesLn 10$511K$511K
Legal feesLn 11b$8.1M$8.1M
Accounting feesLn 11c$157K$157K
Investment management feesLn 11f$114K$114K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$1.2M$1.2M
Office expensesLn 13$52K$52K
Information technologyLn 14$391K$391K
OccupancyLn 16$1.3M$1.3M
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$2.1M$2.1M
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$824K$824K
InsuranceLn 23$505K$505K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$19.7M$19.7M
All other expensesLn 24e$2.9M$2.8M$129K
Total functional expensesLn 25$789.2M$759.4M$29.8M$0

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest Viewing $826.5M$789.2M$37.3M−$67.0M 990 PDF
FY2024 $711.4M$705.4M$6.0M$70.7M 990 PDF
FY2023 $706.6M$694.3M$12.4M$64.3M 990 PDF
FY2022 $617.0M$606.9M$10.1M$51.8M 990 PDF
FY2021 $578.3M$572.5M$5.8M$43.1M 990 PDF
FY2020 $496.7M$499.5M−$2.8M$37.4M 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs I · Grants R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support F · Foreign M · Noncash
See the full FY2025 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $826,480,916 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $2,348,101$2,120,154
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $701,207,765$816,827,981
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $7,796,981$7,532,781
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $0$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $711,352,847$826,480,916
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $650,630,789$736,932,636
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $14,746,515$14,843,634
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $40,005,340$37,441,415
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $705,382,644$789,217,685
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $5,970,203$37,263,231
Part VI · Governance 18 of 18 board members independent, no flags
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body18
VI-1b Independent voting members18
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyYes
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $826,480,916 across 8 lines filed
Lines not itemized here account for $210,000 of total revenue; see the IRS return.
VIII-1e Government grants$1,000,000
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$1,120,154
VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$20,453
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$2,120,154
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $816,617,981$816,617,981
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $6,980,708$6,980,708
VIII-7 Net gain or loss on sales of assetsRelated to mission $552,073$552,073
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $817,380,054 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $6,980,708$826,480,916
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $789,217,685 across 19 lines filed
IX-1 Grants to domestic organizationsPrograms $736,617,636$736,617,636
IX-2 Grants to domestic individualsPrograms $315,000$315,000
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffManagement $5,149,231$5,149,231
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesManagement $6,603,001$6,603,001
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsManagement $882,287$882,287
IX-9 Other employee benefitsManagement $1,698,448$1,698,448
IX-10 Payroll taxesManagement $510,667$510,667
IX-11b Legal feesManagement $8,139,115$8,139,115
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $156,590$156,590
IX-11f Investment management feesManagement $113,702$113,702
IX-12 Advertising and promotionManagement $1,235,263$1,235,263
IX-13 Office expensesManagement $51,635$51,635
IX-14 Information technologyManagement $390,761$390,761
IX-16 OccupancyManagement $1,329,503$1,329,503
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsManagement $2,091,395$2,091,395
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationManagement $823,600$823,600
IX-23 InsuranceManagement $504,927$504,927
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $19,666,942$19,666,942
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $2,808,832 · Management $129,150$2,937,982
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $759,408,410 · Management $29,809,275 · Fundraising $0$789,217,685
Part X · Balance sheet $364,439,570 assets, 15 lines filed
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $20,417,743$147,303,603
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $1,236,862$252,721
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $181,365,765$205,630,936
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $711,103$163,319
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $11,170,975$6,586,469
X-11 Publicly traded securitiesStart of year $59,125,647$4,502,522
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $274,028,095$364,439,570
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $190,157,147$255,298,148
X-19 Deferred revenueStart of year $13,208,333$12,208,333
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $0$163,912,788
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $203,365,480$431,419,269
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $69,425,753−$67,232,420
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $1,236,862$252,721
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $70,662,615−$66,979,699
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $274,028,095$364,439,570
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets −$66,979,699 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$826,480,916
XI-2 Total expenses$789,217,685
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$37,263,231
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$70,662,615
XI-5 Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments$1,133,758
XI-9 Other changes in net assets−$176,039,303
XI-10 Net assets at end of year−$66,979,699

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2025 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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