ACC moving to 9 conference games

ACC athletic directors agreed Monday to move from an 8-game conference schedule to a nine-game conference schedule in 2026. This move joins the other Power 4 leagues in going to nine conference games.

ACC teams will be required to play 10 Power 4 games. Most teams will begin playing nine conference games plus one Power 4 game in 2026.

However, a number of ACC schools have return non-conference or neutral site non-conference games scheduled for next season, including Florida State at Alabama, Clemson at LSU, SMU at Baylor, Duke at Illinois, Georgia Tech at Colorado, North Carolina-TCU in Dublin, Ireland, and Virginia-West Virginia in Charlotte.

"We have been incredibly intentional throughout our discussions on ACC football, including the future of our conference schedule," ACC commissioner Jim Phillips said in a statement. "This positions the ACC as one of only two leagues committed to having every team annually play a minimum of 10 games against Power 4 teams. There will be additional discussions and more details to be determined, but today's decision showcases the commitment and leadership of our ADs in balancing what is best for strengthening the conference and for their respective programs.”

The new scheduling model will be presented to the faculty athletics representatives for formal adoption later this week.

BOTTOM LINE:

The ACC is making this schedule format change to position the conference to remain a relevant power conference.

GO CANES!