The ACC Championship Game traditionally matches the winner of the Coastal and Atlantic Divisions of the Atlantic Coast Conference . Prior to 2005 , no championship game existed . The idea for a championship game originated with the league 's 2004 expansion , which added former Big East members Miami , Virginia Tech , and ( in 2005 ) Boston College . A request to the National Collegiate Athletic Association by conference officials to hold a championship game following the 2004 season was rejected because the ACC lacked the requisite 12 teams , and so the league 's first championship game had to wait until after Boston College 's addition , which had been delayed by a year . With the addition of Boston College , the ACC consisted of 12 teams , allowing it to hold a conference championship game under NCAA rules . Before the start of the 2005 season , both Virginia Tech and Florida State were picked as pre-season favorites to play in the championship game in an annual poll conducted by members of the media who cover the ACC
Big East
Big East Conference (1979–2013)
2005 ACC Championship Game