Veteran broadcaster Mark Packer is moving onto his next chapter.
The ACC Network host and commentator announced on social media Thursday evening that he has made the decision to retire.
“Breaking News. My agent alerted ESPN this morning that I have decided to retire. Given the difficult challenges of past 3 years on both a personal and professional level, the timing is right. I can’t wait to travel, write, teach & live again! Thank you for all the support,” Packer wrote to his followers.
Packer has been the face of ACC Network since the channel’s launch in 2019. For three years, he hosted Packer and Durham alongside Wes Durham from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. ET, before ACC Network opted to move its flagship show to the afternoons, rebranding it ACC PM. Packer would go on to co-host that show with Taylor Tannebaum.
Of course, Packer is the son of legendary sportscaster Billy Packer, who called the men’s Final Four from 1975 to 2008.
The Packer family has deep ACC roots. Billy won two ACC titles at Wake Forest as a player before becoming a regular voice on Raycom Sports’ broadcasts of ACC basketball games. Mark became well-known in the mid-Atlantic for his popular PrimeTime with the Packman radio show on WFNZ in Charlotte, which he hosted from 1997 to 2010 prior to joining ESPN. He has also hosted numerous shows for SiriusXM.
Packer’s exit marks the end of an era for ACC Network, which will now have a big hole to fill in its afternoon lineup. Surely, ACC PM will continue, but it would look decidedly different outside of Packer’s iconic basement home studio.