Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan Interview

A lot to get to with the mayor of Greensboro, Nancy Vaughn, who now joins us here on WSJS Sports. I remember in the fall, when we first learned that this was going to be an issue altogether, you were understandably tight-lipped about a lot of things.

You couldn't say much about your pitch to keep headquarters in Greensboro because you didn't know who was listening, you didn't know how many competitors there might be. Well, now, according to Jim Phillips a few weeks ago, we're in the final week or two of this. The final stages of this process trying to figure out where ACC headquarters are going to be, or if they're going to stay in Greensboro. And I'd imagine everything's been laid out on the table.

So let's start in the obvious place. Are you more than cautiously optimistic at this point about the issue? I am still cautiously optimistic. And I'll say that the final weeks have been coming for a long time. We thought that we would get an answer in the fall and during the men's basketball tournament and then right after the spring meetings. So I think we have made this a very difficult decision for them. I'm glad you bring up the timeline. So your belief is this might be resolved a lot quicker if it wasn't for some of the actions you and your team have taken.

Absolutely. We have come up with such a creative proposal. And actually, I think there were three in total that every time they presented a roadblock, we found a way to go over it or around it. I think we gave them a great proposal. And we're sitting on the edges of our seats to see what they decide. We've heard about a handful of things.

I've been in touch with a lot of ACC people trying to figure out what exactly is happening here. We've heard about the private plane. We've heard about the real estate opportunities. But you tell me, what were some of the issues they specifically wanted to address with you and how have you addressed them? Well, you know, they had a number of issues. And yes, the airplane hub was a big one. And we think that we had a creative solution by offering them personal airplane service. And I think they liked that so much that it got chopped to some of the other venues as well.

They asked us to help on a number of issues where we came up with out-of-the-box thinking when it came to DEI and mental health issues. And I don't want to be too specific in our proposal, but I know that the people of the city of Greensboro would be really proud of the package we put together. Do they just want a change of scenery when it comes to Grand Over or do what is it about? I've heard people talk about, hey, there might be places that are closer to downtown that have more restaurant options, things of that nature.

What exactly has been the conversation about Grand Over? You know, I think they loved being out at Grand Over. It is a great location, but realized that they wanted to be in a place where, you know, their employees could go out to lunch or dinner or shop. And so I think ultimately it came down to the fact that they wanted a more downtown presence.

Yeah. And that's the economic piece of this is what interests me, too. And it's something that you people can often forget about, like, you know, all these things that we see that affect normal people, your constituents also affects these larger companies and these leagues as well. Do you believe the current economy for real estate, Mayor Vaughn, could play into Greensboro's advantage when they're trying to decide whether it's smart to uproot things? You know, I I know that they have confidence in the city of Greensboro when they had issues with the with the ACC men's tournament. We were able to mobilize during COVID immediately to give them the venue to play at.

We offered them in the bubble service. Whenever they've had an issue, we have risen to the occasion. We really do put the schools and fans first. You know, they go to other venues and they're lost. People don't even realize that they're in town. But when they are at the Greensboro Coliseum, they are the event. And there is just such a buzz. So I know that that is important to them.

And we're taking a two pronged approach. Not only do we want them to stay here, but we also want to stay in the tournament rotation. Do you believe those two things are linked, Mayor Vaughn? You know, we've been told that they're not.

But I do believe that in some way they are linked. But I think that we have such a history with them that we will we will secure some tournaments regardless. Nancy Vaughn with us here. It just makes sense if you're going to have the women's tournament here and it's going to be supported for a tremendous, you know, a period of time so consistently and the history, obviously there, too. I just don't understand how anybody can not include Greensboro and that be a part of the mix. But another thing that's frustrating to me, Mayor Vaughn joining us, Greensboro mayor on WSJS Sports. What do you say to the naysayers, often folks that aren't from around here, who say this issue, it doesn't really matter where the headquarters are at. It's just mostly symbolic.

What do you say to that? Well, you know, obviously, because of our history, we want to keep them here. They are a small office. There is about 50 employees. They are a nonprofit. So they don't have a huge footprint here in the city of Greensboro. But it is a point of pride for us. They are a prestige conference. We've had a long association with them. We believe that we've served them well.

They've grown and they've thrived. But we also knew that with the Big East schools coming in, that it was going to change the philosophy of the ACC and that they would want greater coverage in the footprint. Yeah, because what a lot of people might not know is that you need 10 out of the 15 ACC schools, that includes Notre Dame, to approve a vote out of Greensboro, whether it be Charlotte or whether it be Orlando, like has been reported. Do you understand, do you have a good familiarity with what the politics are behind the scene between what you described to be the Big East schools and some of the schools that are more traditional members? So obviously, we have been reaching out to all of the schools and we offer to bring them in to get to show them around Greensboro because many of the chancellors and presidents, the ones who are really going to make the decision, have never been to Greensboro before. And I think that they may have a different picture in their mind of what Greensboro has to offer and that if they were here, that they would embrace it a little bit more. The people who have been here really like our city. So we are hopeful. How many schools took you up on that offer?

I would say about half of them. OK. Nancy Vaughn with us here. And that's one of the things I give you a lot of credit for, Mayor. You've been very proactive about this. It's clear it matters to you. I saw you went down to Amelia Island for ACC spring meetings, for example.

Why did you do that? Because it was a great opportunity for us to meet with the schools that we hadn't had some one on one time with. You know, for me, it was kind of a bittersweet memory. My parents went to the spring meetings for, you know, probably for a couple of decades because my dad was with the ACC for 28 years. So this, you know, this is a conference that I know intimately, that it is more to me than just a business. It is something that is literally put the food on the table of my family. I remember coming down here and going to the tournaments and how well run they are.

Of course, I'm going to say that because my dad ran, but they were great. But, you know, talking to him, he's been gone now for 11 years, but even talking to him before he left the ACC, you know, he certainly was concerned about the spreading footprint and what that would mean for us as a city. Nancy Vaughn with us here. Greensboro Mayor, obviously been pretty important couple of weeks when it comes to election cycles and things of that nature. How often to do your constituents bring this issue up to you or mention it in passing?

It is a pretty regular occurrence. You know, what's the status? It's been quiet for so long. But, you know, we are we are just honoring what the ACC wanted, and that was to not make a political issue out of this and allow them to do their evaluation. And regardless what happens, I do know that the city of Greensboro is going to be really pleased with the way we represent it. You said the last time we visited that when John Swafford retired, you knew that this was going to be accelerated regardless of who the new commissioner was going to be. But getting to know Jim Phillips a little bit more during this process, how has your perception, how has your opinion evolved about ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips? I really like Commissioner Phillips. I think he's been very transparent. It has been nice working with him. You know, he mentioned from the very beginning that they were doing an entire assessment of the ACC, not just the real estate, but governance.

And, you know, since then, the name, image and likeness happened and the athlete portal. So college athletics, the face of college athletics is just changing. And I think that they are trying to react to those changes, which really makes me think, why put something else on your plate when you've got all of these other huge issues that you've got to look at? Moving just now just doesn't seem to be the right time. Would it hurt you more if they decided to leave and specifically leave the state of North Carolina? You know, certainly I would like them to stay in North Carolina, but I want them to stay right here in Greensboro. Yeah.

Good answer to that. Mayor Vaughn is joining us here. Nancy Vaughn, Greensboro mayor, kind of have to spend time with us. When is your understanding that this is going to be resolved one way or another? Any minute now. We truly thought that it might be resolved right after the spring meetings when the chancellors and presidents met.

So I think it could happen in the next few weeks. Any thoughts about your Tar Heels run through the final four to the championship game? Oh, you know, we kind of dissed about the whole men's tournament and how we didn't represent very well. Well, certainly in the end we did.

Yeah, there's no doubt about that. When this gets resolved, we'd love to have you back. Thanks for what you're doing for the Triad.

I know a lot of people are taking notice and a lot of people really care about this issue, myself included. Thank you so much for sharing your insight with us today. Thank you.

Have a nice day. There she goes. A lot to digest there from Nancy Vaughn. Updates on ACC headquarters any minute now, she says that this thing could be resolved. What do you do after a really newsworthy interview like that? Talk movies at the movies with Will Dalton, the W.D. and the other guys being the subject of it. Next.