ACC to Change Football Scheduling Model Beginning in 2023


The conference announced a big change that will allow for each team to face every program in the league twice in the four-year cycle.

Say goodbye to the Atlantic and Coastal divisions, ACC fans. 

The conference announced a new football scheduling model beginning in 2023 that will allow for each team to face every program in the league twice during the four-year cycle. 

The Atlantic and Coastal divisions will be eliminated, allowing for all 14 programs to compete in one division. The new model, which is based on a 3-5-5 structure, will have the programs each play three primary opponents once a year. Then, teams will play the other 10 schools once at home and once away during the four-season rotation.

Here are the primary opponents for each team.

Boston College: Miami, Pitt, Syracuse
Clemson: Florida State, Georgia Tech, NC State
Duke: North Carolina, NC State, Wake Forest
Florida State: Clemson, Miami, Syracuse
Georgia Tech: Clemson, Louisville, Wake Forest
Louisville: Georgia Tech, Miami, Virginia
Miami: Boston College, Florida State, Louisville
North Carolina: Duke, NC State, Virginia
NC State: Clemson, Duke, North Carolina
Pitt: Boston College, Syracuse, Virginia Tech
Syracuse: Boston College, Florida State, Pitt
Virginia: Louisville, North Carolina, Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech: Pitt, Virginia, Wake Forest
Wake Forest: Duke, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech

“The future ACC football scheduling model provides significant enhancements for our schools and conference, with the most important being our student-athletes having the opportunity to play every school both home and away over a four-year period,” ACC commissioner Jim Phillips said in the release. “We appreciate the thoughtful discussions within our membership, including the head football coaches and athletic directors. In the end, it was clear this model is in the best interest of our student-athletes, programs and fans, at this time.”

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The ACC released the conference opponents for each team through the 2026 season. Now, the two teams with the highest conference winning percentage will face off in the ACC championship game. Last season, Atlantic Division champion Wake Forest, which was 10–2, fell to Coastal champ Pitt, which finished the regular season with the same record. 

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