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USA Today Sports Media Group

Sport

Pete Fiutak

ACC Football Schedule. 5 Things That Matter, What It Means, Who Wins, Who Loses

With the ACC schedule model announced, what does it all mean? Who wins, who loses, and what’s next?

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The ACC announced its schedule model for the conference season. It’s a ten-game season – with Notre Dame included – with five home games, five away games, and with each team missing four other ACC teams.

The divisions are gone for this season, and each team will get to play one non-conference game. The weekly schedule is coming out later.

ACC Football Schedule Model

5. ACC Football Schedule Announced. What It Means For You And Your College Football Life

The ACC thinks it’s playing college football this season. Start from there, be happy about it, and enjoy the moment.

It could’ve all gone the other way, and we could be talking right now about how the ACC and Notre Dame are cancelling the campaign.

Oh sure, it could all go kablooey at any moment, and it all might be totally delusional, but take a deep breath and pretend things are sort of normal.

There could be college football this fall, and if it happens, it could be fantastic.

The ACC model has five home games, five away games, Notre Dame is in the mix, and everyone gets one non-conference game. Fine. Great.

From the ACC announcement, here are the other key parts …

Every team has two open dates. That might not be enough time if a team has to take 14 days off, and there’s not a whole lot of wiggle room for rescheduling.

All the TV revenue is split. More on this in a moment, but Notre Dame gets to be part of the ACC fun as long as it gives the ACC a piece of the pie.

The ACC Championship will be between the two top teams based on conference winning percentage. For this year, with no divisions, the non-Clemson teams from the Atlantic have a real hope of playing for the ACC title.

NEXT: The One Non-Conference Game And Why It Matters

4. The One Non-Conference Game And Why It Matters

The ten-game ACC+Notre Dame schedule is already terrific and should be a lot of fun. How much do the 15 ACC teams – including the Irish for this season – want to extend themselves?

As is, the ten-game campaign is going to be rough. Will Georgia Tech want to keep the date with Georgia? Will Florida State want to play Florida, will Louisville want to keep the game against Kentucky, and will Clemson want to keep the series with South Carolina alive and rolling?

Yup. Actually, it’s more like a firm probably.

If there aren’t fans in the stands – that’s still up for debate – the idea of scheduling a cream-puff for that 11th game doesn’t help.

Yes, the TV revenue has to be split up 15 ways, but it still might make more sense to schedule someone from the Big 12 or SEC, or keep a big game against a Group of Five program like UCF – who is previously scheduled to play North Carolina and Georgia Tech – as long as it works out geographically.

There’s a caveat – the non-conference game has to be played in the home state of the ACC school.

That’s not a problem for the potential of GT-UGA, UF-FSU, Clemson-USC and UK-UL, but that would mean that – for example – UCF wouldn’t get the home game against the Tar Heels.

The weekly schedule hasn’t been released yet, but it will be interesting where these non-conference games are put in the respective schedules. If they’re in the middle of the season, they can be skipped if absolutely necessary.

However, to speculate, they’ll all likely be at the very end, with the idea that they could be canceled or changed if the ACC needs to reschedule one of the conference dates.

NEXT: Notre Dame And The ACC Are Moving In Together

3. Notre Dame And The ACC Are Moving In Together

The Friends With Benefits relationship has just gone to another level.

Notre Dame now gets a drawer and a shelf in the medicine cabinet, at least for this year.

The Irish get ten ACC games, and while they have to split up their NBC money with the rest of the conference, they get to potentially play for the ACC Championship and possibly go to the Orange Bowl if they win it all, or finish second with the champ going to the College Football Playoff.

– ACC Schedule Model: Every Team’s Home and Away Games, and Who’s Missed

Originally, the Irish were supposed to play Clemson, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Wake Forest and Duke from the ACC. Now they get those five and Boston College, Florida State, North Carolina, Pitt and Syracuse.

This doesn’t mean Notre Dame will be a permanent part of the fun, and it certainly doesn’t mean it’ll share its TV money on a long-term basis, but for now, it’s a fun twist in this strangest of seasons.

Here’s the biggest key – who does Notre Dame miss?

The Clemson game stays in South Bend, but there’s no Virginia or Virginia Tech, there’s no NC State, and unfortunately there’s no Miami.

All things considered, the Irish catch a relatively nice break in who they miss, unlike …

NEXT: And The Big Loser In The ACC Scheduling Model Is …

2. And The Big Loser In The ACC Scheduling Model Is …

Wake Forest is up there.

The Demon Deacons get Clemson, Miami, Notre Dame, Virginia and Virginia Tech at home, but they still have to play all five of them – those five are among the best teams in the conference.

If they aren’t the top five, then North Carolina is in there – that’s a Wake Forest road game. Missing Pitt is a plus, and not playing Florida State isn’t bad, but not getting Boston College or Georgia Tech hurts.

Boston College misses Florida State, Miami, NC State and Wake Forest – not that bad, but most of them are in BC’s wheelhouse – and it has to go to Clemson, Virginia and Virginia Tech.

Florida State doesn’t have to play a terrific Virginia Tech team, and it gets Clemson, North Carolina, Pitt and Virginia at home, but it has to go on the road to deal with Louisville, Miami, NC State and Notre Dame.

NEXT: And The Big Winner In The ACC Scheduling Model Is …

1. And The Big Winner In The ACC Scheduling Model Is …

The fans.

As cornball as that sounds, ten ACC games plus Notre Dame? Oh yes, this will be fun.

It’s going to be one of the most entertaining seasons ever, Clemson will get tested as much as ever, and it’s going to be an even enough conference overall that the losers with the schedules aren’t punished all that much – everyone is in the same boat.

However, North Carolina isn’t going to complain.

It misses Clemson, Louisville and Pitt – all massive for the Tar Heels – along with Georgia Tech, and NC State, Notre Dame, and Virginia Tech have to come to Chapel Hill.

All things considered, if the roughest road games are Florida State, Miami and Virginia, you can’t complain.

No one missing Clemson can complain.

Duke and Louisville don’t have to face the Tigers, either, but the biggest winner is NC State.

The Wolfpack miss Clemson and Notre Dame. Not having to play Louisville is a plus, too. Not playing Boston College is a bad break, but boo (bleep)ing hoo.

Going to North Carolina, Pitt, Syracuse, Virginia and Virginia Tech isn’t easy, but getting FSU and Miami at home helps. All that matters, though, is missing the Tigers and Irish.

Let’s go. Let’s do this.