ACC OKs 9 league games; aligns with rest of P4

ACC diversion directors agreed Monday to determination to a nine-game league docket aft meetings successful Charlotte, North Carolina, joining the different Power 4 leagues successful going to 9 league games.

As portion of the caller scheduling model, league teams volition present beryllium required to play 10 Power 4 games. Most teams volition statesman playing 9 league games positive 1 Power 4 crippled successful 2026.

Multiple ACC teams person instrumentality nonconference oregon neutral tract nonconference games scheduled for adjacent season, including Florida State astatine Alabama, Clemson astatine LSU, SMU astatine Baylor, Duke astatine Illinois, Georgia Tech astatine Colorado, North Carolina-TCU successful Dublin, Ireland, and Virgini-West Virginia successful Charlotte.

In a statement, ACC commissioner Jim Phillips said athletics directors "overwhelmingly" supported the alteration from 8 league games to nine. Conversations astir moving to a nine-game league docket ramped up aft the SEC made the determination to determination to 9 league games past month. The SEC besides is requiring its league teams to play 10 Power 4 games.

The Big 12 and Big Ten person already been astatine 9 league games.

"We person been incredibly intentional passim our discussions connected ACC football, including the aboriginal of our league schedule," Phillips said successful a statement. "This positions the ACC arsenic 1 of lone 2 leagues committed to having each squad annually play a minimum of 10 games against Power 4 teams. There volition beryllium further discussions and much details to beryllium determined, but today's determination showcases the committedness and enactment of our ADs successful balancing what is champion for strengthening the league and for their respective programs."

The caller scheduling exemplary volition beryllium presented to the module athletics representatives for ceremonial adoption aboriginal this week.

The ACC has had discussions astir playing 9 games for much than a decade, but its unsocial scheduling concern with Notre Dame, and nonconference rivalry games for Florida State, Louisville, Clemson and Georgia Tech ever made it hard to determination to nine.

The SEC and ACC had been the lone holdouts staying astatine 8 games. But erstwhile the SEC moved to 9 league games, the likelihood of keeping 8 league games portion playing a beardown nonconference...