Sources: ACC eyes 10 Power 4 video games in new schedule format

The ACC is closing in on a change to its scheduling format that may require all league groups to play at the least 10 video games towards Power 4 competitors, although the variety of intraconference video games performed — eight or 9 — stays a sticking level, in response to a number of sources.

Athletic administrators are scheduled to fulfill Monday in Charlotte to debate the small print of what’s going to both be a transfer to a nine-game convention slate with one further Power 4 sport required out of convention or an “8+2” mannequin that may present extra flexibility to colleges that have already got an annual nonconference rival.

“The ACC committing to go to 10 Power 4 games is a big step forward,” Clemson athletic director Graham Neff mentioned. “It’s indicative of where college football is and leans into emphasizing the importance of strength of schedule and more Power 4 matchups.”

Neff is among the many handful of ADs involved {that a} nine-game convention slate could be problematic in limiting colleges’ means to play marquee nonconference video games as Clemson did this season towards LSU in Week 1.

The Tigers play South Carolina yearly and, starting in 2027, may also have a yearly sport towards Notre Dame.

A straw ballot of 13 of the ACC’s 17 athletic administrators confirmed 9 supported or had been amenable to the nine-game slate, whereas Clemson and Florida State are among the many others with considerations in regards to the influence on nonconference scheduling.

The SEC introduced final month that it will transfer from an eight-game to a nine-game convention slate — a choice that has spurred the ACC’s curiosity in adjusting its scheduling mannequin, too.

Multiple sources mentioned ACC commissioner Jim Phillips needs to see the convention play 9 league video games yearly and require every faculty to schedule one out-of-conference sport towards one other Power 4 faculty, basically matching the SEC’s new technique. ACC colleges are already alleged to have at the least one Power 4 nonconference sport every year, however that rule has not been enforced, and several other packages have prevented taking part in a tougher schedule. Sources advised ESPN that the present conversations have reached a consensus that 10 Power 4 video games should be an enforced minimal shifting ahead.

One administrator mentioned it appears inevitable the league goes to go to 9 league video games. Duke coach Manny Diaz agreed.

“I think it’d be awfully strange to be the only conference not at nine conference games,” Diaz mentioned. “Usually, when you’re the only one doing something, it’s either really good or really bad. It just feels like you’d want continuity in what everybody does in college sports.”

The SEC’s transfer coincided with the College Football Playoff committee’s revised tips that emphasize power of opponent. SEC colleges are additionally anticipated to see a rise in income from its TV associate, ESPN, for including the extra convention sport.

ACC ADs had been briefed on the varied plans throughout a name Wednesday, although a number of mentioned there stays little understanding of how potential adjustments could be accepted by ESPN or thought-about among the many CFP committee. Indeed, as Miami AD Dan Radakovich famous, the best method for a 12-team playoff vs. an expanded model won’t be the identical, however the ACC might want to resolve its scheduling destiny earlier than realizing what the longer term postseason would possibly appear to be.

“Hopefully, Jim [Phillips] will give us some insight into that when we get together Monday and help set the table that, hey, nine is going to be really important for us to keep a very good seat at the table as it relates to the other CFP commissioners and the Power 4 conferences,” Radakovich mentioned. “It all depends on how big the CFP gets. That’s another driving factor we won’t know. We’re going to have to make this decision without that knowledge and try to project it the best way we can.”

No further income is predicted to come back from ESPN if a change is made. The ACC additionally modified its revenue-distribution mannequin beginning in 2025, awarding the next proportion of income to colleges based mostly on TV scores.

“It’s important we continue to be strategic in providing value to our media partner, ESPN,” Neff mentioned. “And with how the ACC has adapted our financial distribution model, that has direct school revenue implications unlike any other conference.”

The ACC has wrestled with what number of league video games it ought to play for greater than a decade. In 2012, the ACC agreed to play 9, however then it determined to remain at eight after including Syracuse and Pittsburgh and coming to a scheduling settlement with Notre Dame the next yr. The intrastate nonconference rivalry video games that Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech and Louisville play yearly towards their SEC rivals have all the time been a sticking level in any of those discussions.

For these 4 groups, their rivalry video games coupled with a nine-game convention slate would supply a full stock of 10 Power 4 matchups — with extra in years wherein these colleges play Notre Dame as a part of the league’s settlement that requires 5 video games per yr towards the Irish. That leaves little room for marquee matchups equivalent to Clemson-LSU or Florida State-Alabama, two video games that did monster scores in Week 1 of this season, every drawing greater than 10 million viewers.

But future marquee nonconference matchups like these might disappear as soon as the ACC strikes to a nine-game convention slate, Neff mentioned, which might diminish the general product and inhibit income alternatives, given the ACC’s new distribution mannequin that gives extra money to colleges with higher TV scores.

Radakovich famous that video games like this week’s showdown with Florida are unlikely to be performed shifting ahead as a result of constraints of a bigger convention schedule, however he mentioned he’ll proceed to have conversations with Florida AD Scott Stricklin.

“It’s going to be a real tough sell because Florida has their nine SEC games and their rivalry game with FSU,” Radakovich mentioned. “Scott and I will have some chats to see if it can happen but it’s going to be some tough sledding.”

Louisville AD Josh Heird mentioned his faculty would nonetheless schedule high nonconference competitors, even when meaning an eleventh Power 4 sport. The Cardinals have future video games scheduled towards Georgia in 2026 and 2027 and Texas A&M in 2028 and 2029.

“Play good teams,” Heird mentioned. “We’ll play Kentucky every year, and we’ll have Notre Dame every once in a while. And we absolutely want to still play the home-and-homes with Georgia and Texas A&M. I think the kids want to play those games, too.”

Several ADs expressed concern, nevertheless, that collection like Louisville’s with Georgia and Texas A&M would disappear regardless, because the SEC bows out of such matchups now that its groups will play 9 league video games. Others steered the SEC and Big Ten — the 2 leagues with essentially the most monetary clout — might work collectively for nonconference scheduling, leaving the ACC and Big 12 with few choices to fill out their slates, significantly if the ACC has two Power 4 nonconference video games required.

“You’re not guaranteed 10,” one AD in favor of a 9+1 mannequin mentioned. “That’s the issue. Who’s to say the other Power 4 leagues want to schedule ACC schools?”

One different may very well be for ACC groups to schedule nonconference video games towards one another, as NC State and Virginia did in Week 2. Several ADs expressed skepticism about that plan, nevertheless, suggesting it will be extraordinarily complicated for followers to grasp which ACC vs. ACC matchups counted within the league standings and which didn’t.

Regardless, the ACC should determine a approach round a extra fundamental downside of math. With 17 football-playing members, there is no approach for all colleges to play 9 convention video games.

One preliminary plan concerned video games vs. Notre Dame — an ACC member in all sports activities besides soccer — to depend as convention video games. Multiple ADs advised ESPN that plan has been shelved in the intervening time, seemingly in favor of an imbalanced mannequin wherein at the least one group will play simply eight convention video games whereas the remainder play 9.

Monday’s conferences in Charlotte are anticipated to maneuver the league nearer to a closing choice, however a number of sources mentioned they don’t count on an official vote to occur for just a few weeks and are equally doubtful a change will take impact for the 2026 season.

“Let’s look to try to set our course,” Radakovich mentioned. “The discussions will happen Monday, but decisions will hopefully happen shortly thereafter. Hopefully, we’ll come out of that with a consensus that leads the ACC to a final conclusion.”