FRED BARAKAT SPORTS DINNER
The Fred Barakat Sports Dinner, Greensboro’s premier showcase of nationally-prominent sports figures, past and present, is open to all sports enthusiasts. A portion of the dinner proceeds support the Greensboro Aquatic Center’s Learn to Swim Program.
Fred Barakat joined the Atlantic Coast Conference in 1981 as the supervisor of men’s basketball officials. He was later named Assistant Commissioner and was then promoted to Associate Commissioner, Director of Men’s Basketball. For 16 years, he served as the ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament director along with his other basketball responsibilities that included scheduling, managing the league’s television partners and officiating. Barakat knew the value of the ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament, what it meant to the Greensboro community and why the Greensboro Complex was its natural home. He retired from the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2007.
The Greensboro Sports Council is proud to remember Fred Barakat through its sports dinner in appreciation of all he did for Greensboro, the ACC and the Greensboro Complex. He will always be remembered.
PREVIOUS SPEAKERS
2008
Gene Corrigan, ACC Commissioner (1987–‘97)
2009
Jay Bilas, ESPN Basketball Analyst
2010
Clark Kellogg, CBS College Basketball Analyst
2011
Dick Vitale, ESPN and Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame Inductee
2012
Mike Krzyzswski, Duke University Men’s Basketball Coach
2013
Gary McCord, CBS Sports Golf Analyst, retired PGA TOUR player
2015
Legends of the ACC: Randolph Childress (Wake Forest), Phil Ford (N. Carolina), Mike Gminski (Duke), Dereck Whittenburg (NC State)
2016
Coaches of the ACC: Dave Odom (Wake Forest), Gary Williams (Maryland), Bobby Cremins (Georgia Tech), Les Robinson (NC State)
2017
1974 NCAA Championship Reunion: David Thompson, Monte Towe, Tommy Burleson, Eddie Biedenbach
2018
John Feinstein, Best-Selling Author
2019
Jim Boeheim, Syracuse University Men’s Basketball Coach
2022
Dabo Swinney, Clemson University Football Coach
2024
Seth Greenberg, ESPN College Basketball Analyst and two-time ACC Coach of the Year
2025
Dawn Staley, Three-time NCAA Women’s Basketball National Championship Coach and Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer