From 1998 to 2000, the ACC Tournament adopted a format that in which the top-seeded team played the last-place team in the first round. The winner of this game received a bye into the semifinals. A second first-round game pitted the #7 seed versus the #8 seed. The winner of that game played the #2 seed in the quarterfinals.
Antawn Jamison of North Carolina was named tournament MVP.