Miami clinches Coastal division, heads to 1st-ever ACC title game

Whether you agree that "The U" is officially back as a national program or not, Mark Richt has Miami headed somewhere the team has never been before.

For the first time since coming to the conference in 2004, the Hurricanes are going to the ACC championship game, and they didn't even have to step on the field Saturday to do so.

Miami got the news prior to their 8:00 p.m. ET kickoff against No. 3 Notre Dame, that a loss by Virginia clinched the Coastal title for the Hurricanes.

The Hurricanes could have gone to the ACC championship in 2013 after a second-place finish in the division, since first-place North Carolina was ineligible for postseason play. Unfortunately, Miami was also banned from the game, so third-place Georgia Tech got the nod.

There are no stipulations this season, as the Hurricanes are clearly the class of the Coastal and will represent the division against Clemson.