Associação Académica de Coimbra

The Coimbra Academic Association (Portuguese: Associação Académica de Coimbra (AAC)) is the students' union of the University of Coimbra (UC). Founded in Coimbra on November 3, 1887, it is the oldest students' union in Portugal. It is also the biggest Portuguese students' union belonging to an independent institution, since it represents all the students of its university, who gain automatic membership into the AAC as students of the University of Coimbra.

In addition to several departments dedicated to culture and student life, AAC has several sports' departments based in Coimbra. All teams and athletes of the AAC sports departments bear the same name and logo with black uniforms. This is one of the largest sports clubs of Portugal. The Associação Académica de Coimbra - O.A.F. (its autonomous professional football club) is one of its better known sports clubs across Portugal due to a regular presence on the Portuguese Football Championship and the popularity of football in the country. In rugby (Portuguese Rugby Union Championship), volleyball (Portuguese Volleyball Championship) and basketball (Portuguese Basketball League (LCB)) competitions, AAC is also represented at the highest level, as well as in several olympic disciplines. The chess team is the current Portuguese champion.

The Associação Académica de Coimbra was predated by several older student organisations, for example the Orfeon Académico de Coimbra (1880). This choir remains autonomous from the association today. The Associação Académica was founded on the base of the student dramatic society, the Academia Dramática de Coimbra (1849-1887). The main mover was a law student António Luís Gomes. In 1971 student protests led to the Associação Académica being closed down, preceding a round of repression.

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