ACC Postgraduate Scholarships: Eligibility and Legacy

The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) offers postgraduate scholarships to student-athletes who excel both academically and athletically. These scholarships, awarded annually since 1971, support recipients in their pursuit of graduate degrees. ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips, Ph.D., has emphasized that the recipients exemplify the highest standards of collegiate athletics, demonstrating dedication and commitment to excellence in both competition and the classroom.

Types of ACC Postgraduate Scholarships

The ACC offers two primary postgraduate scholarships: the Weaver-James-Corrigan-Swofford Scholarship and the Jim & Pat Thacker Scholarship. These scholarships recognize student-athletes who intend to pursue a graduate degree after completing their undergraduate requirements.

Weaver-James-Corrigan-Swofford Award

The Weaver-James-Corrigan-Swofford Award is named in honor of former ACC commissioners Jim Weaver, Bob James, Gene Corrigan, and John Swofford. These individuals played pivotal roles in shaping the conference:

James H. Weaver: The league’s first commissioner, served from 1954-70 after being the Director of Athletics at Wake Forest.
Robert C. James: A former Maryland football player, was named commissioner in 1971 and served for 16 years.
Eugene F. Corrigan: Assumed his role as the third full-time commissioner on September 1, 1987, and served until August 1997.
John Swofford: Named the fourth commissioner of the ACC on July 1, 1997, and served until June 2021. He was instrumental in the launch of the ACC Network.

Jim & Pat Thacker Award

The Thacker Award, which originated in 2005, is awarded in honor of the late Jim and Pat Thacker of Charlotte, North Carolina. Jim Thacker was the primary play-by-play announcer for the ACC’s first television network.

Eligibility Requirements for ACC Postgraduate Scholarships

To be eligible for ACC Postgraduate Scholarships, nominees must meet specific academic and athletic criteria:

Academic Standing: Nominees must have distinguished themselves academically with an overall minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or its equivalent.
Academic Progress: The student-athlete must have completed at least seven semesters and completed or will complete their baccalaureate degree, at an ACC institution, prior to receiving the postgraduate scholarship.
Athletic Achievement: Candidates must have performed with distinction as a member of a varsity team specifically represented by local, conference, regional, and/or national athletic recognition.

Each member institution may nominate a maximum of two candidates to be eligible for the postgraduate scholarship awards.

Scholarship Amount and Purpose

Each recipient of the Weaver-James-Corrigan-Swofford and Jim & Pat Thacker postgraduate scholarships receives $9,000 toward their graduate education. The scholarship is intended to support student-athletes in their pursuit of advanced degrees, recognizing their commitment to both academics and athletics.

ACC Excellence Award

The ACC Excellence Award recognizes outstanding graduates from ACC member institutions. The goal of the award is to highlight the students embodying the student-athlete ideal. Recipients of the ACC’s Excellence Award meet the same academic, athletic and community standards as the Weaver-James-Corrigan-Swofford scholarships, but plan to pursue professional careers in their respective sports or chosen fields of study instead of postgraduate studies.

Selection Process

The ACC has selected postgraduate scholarship recipients annually since 1971, providing nearly $5.8 million to more than 1,000 student-athletes. This year’s award winners were chosen by a vote of the conference’s Faculty Athletic Representatives at the conference’s winter meetings.

ACC's Commitment to Academic and Athletic Excellence

The ACC, with its 18 members, including Boston College, Cal, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami, North Carolina, NC State, Notre Dame, Pitt, SMU, Stanford, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Wake Forest, emphasizes academic excellence, athletic competition, and integrity. The conference supports 28 NCAA sports and launched the ACC Network (ACCN) in partnership with ESPN in August 2019, further demonstrating its commitment to promoting its member institutions and student-athletes.

Recognition of Recipients

This year’s class of postgraduate scholarship recipients will be highlighted on ACC Network during live programming from March through June. Each of the ACC’s 18 member schools will also recognize their respective honorees on each of the leagues 18-member schools.

Read also: Postgraduate Certificate Details

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