CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Atlantic Coast Conference is moving to a nine-game league schedule for football while having teams play at least 10 games against power-conference opponents, though there will be variables due to the league’s odd number of football-playing member schools.
Commissioner Jim Phillips announced the decision in a statement Monday, saying athletic directors had “overwhelmingly supported” the move after “incredibly intentional” discussions about scheduling options.
Going from an eight- to a nine-game model would align the ACC with its power-conference peers in the Big 12, Big Ten and Southeastern conferences after unbalanced scheduling between the conferences had been a topic of discussion, and disagreement, when it came to access for the College Football Playoff.
The ACC would join the SEC — which announced its move from eight to nine last month — as the only leagues playing 10 games against Power Four opponents as a baseline in the so-called “9+1 model.”
Still, the ACC being the only power conference with an odd number of football-playing members (17) means there are wrinkles.
A person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press that most league teams will transition to the nine-game slate next year, though multiple teams will play eight league games and two against Power Four opponents — an “8+2 model” — to accommodate nonconference games already on the books.
By 2027, the person said, 16 of the 17 teams will play a “9+1 schedule,” while one team will have to play an “8+2” slate.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the league hasn’t publicized specifics of the model. Phillips said the league will present the plan to its faculty athletic representatives for formal adoption.
“There will be additional discussions and more details to be determined, but Monday’s decision showcases the commitment and leadership of our ADs in balancing what is best for strengthening the conference and for their respective programs,” Phillips said in his statement.
The ACC had used an eight-game football schedule since Florida State’s arrival for the 1992 season, the outlier being a 10-game schedule in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. That included Notre Dame giving up its cherished independent status for one year and playing a full ACC schedule, losing to Clemson in the league championship game.
The Fighting Irish, a member of all other league sports, typically play four to six football games per year against ACC schools and those would fit into the nonconference column in the “9+1” or “8+2” scheduling models.
Phillips had discussed the possibility of going to a nine-game schedule publicly in July during the ACC’s preseason football media days, noting it had been discussed internally multiple times. He said then that he “liked where our league is” and that playing marquee nonconference matchups had been good for the league, but added: “We’ll adjust if we have to.”
The change could theoretically get trickier now with one less spot available for teams to schedule outside of league play, though ensuring 10 games against power-conference opponents — either inside or outside the ACC schedule — would add another selling point when it came to teams’ CFP résumés.
Some teams had already been hitting that 10-game target through traditional means, such as Clemson playing nonconference games against now-No. 4 LSU to open the year and its annual instate rivalry game with South Carolina out of the SEC to cap the regular season.
Others had taken some creative routes to 10, such as N.C. State scheduling a nonconference game against longtime ACC member Virginia this month to go with next month’s trip to Notre Dame as part of the league’s scheduling partnership with the Irish.
Playing nine league games and 10 against power-conference teams could potentially lead to a financial boost with the league’s revenue-distribution model being revised to factor TV viewership ratings into the payouts. That change offers the league’s biggest brands in football and men’s basketball to make more money with higher ratings against top-tier opponents, coming as the league has spent years battling a revenue gap behind the Big Ten and SEC.
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