US EditionACC's Shift to New Football Scheduling Model Will Have 12 of 17 Teams Playing 9 League Games in 2026
The ACC's new schedule requires at least 10 Power Four games per team and introduces a transition year with varied conference games before full adoption in 2027.
- On Tuesday, the Atlantic Coast Conference announced a modified nine-game schedule for the 2026 transition year, with 12 schools playing nine games and Clemson, Georgia Tech, Florida State, North Carolina and Boston College playing eight.
- Athletic directors approved the change in September, voting overwhelmingly to shift from eight to nine games as the ACC described 2026 as a bridge year to balance contractual obligations and scheduling concerns.
- The ACC published Miami's 2026 schedule, including a home game against Duke and matchups with Boston College, Florida State, Pittsburgh, and Virginia Tech at Hard Rock Stadium.
- The ACC will revise its tiebreaker rules before the 2026 season after the current system allowed a 7-5 Duke to reach the title game, amid questions over uneven schedules.
- The new requirements push teams toward more Power Four opponents, with Clemson facing up to 11, while several ACC member institutions balk over SEC rivalries amid the fourth different scheduling format in four years.
31 Articles
31 Articles
ACC Creates Major Scheduling Mess With Uneven Conference Game Plan For 2026 Football Season
The ACC released its conference schedule for the 2026 football season on Tuesday afternoon, and it's a complete mess.One of the ancillary effects of the College Football Playoff and the committee's criteria is the increased focus on strength of schedule. Especially the difficulty of playing conference games, where familiarity between opponents and generally higher quality teams than most non-conference games makes for a tougher challenge. To try…
Associated Press News
ACC's shift to new football scheduling model will have 12 of 17 teams playing 9 league games in 2026
The Atlantic Coast Conference’s transition to a nine-game football schedule will feature 12 of 17 football-playing members playing nine games next fall.
Sun-Sentinel
Orlando SentinelHurricanes get new ACC opponent as conference moves to nine-game schedule
The ACC is moving to a nine-game schedule next season, so the Hurricanes will have an extra conference game in 2026. The conference added a home game against Duke to UM’s schedule, the ACC announced on Tuesday. Miami will also face Boston College, Florida State, Pittsburgh and Virginia Tech at Hard Rock Stadium in 2026. The Hurricanes will go on the road to play Clemson, North Carolina, Stanford and Wake Forest. The dates for each game will be a…
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