ACC football brings on Notre Dame for 2020, plans 11-game schedule
The ACC football season will begin the week of Sept. 7, and the 11 games will be played over at least 13 weeks, the conference’s announcement said. Each school will have five home games and five road games during ACC play. Usually, ACC teams play eight league games in a season.
The lone nonconference game on each team’s schedule will be selected by the program, and the matchup must be held in the home state of the ACC school. That could allow programs to preserve out-of-conference rivalries, such as Georgia Tech vs. Georgia, Clemson vs. South Carolina and Louisville vs. Kentucky. But that would require the SEC to adopt a similar schedule that leaves room for at least one nonconference opponent. The SEC has yet to announce plans for a modified 2020 season.
The Big Ten and the Pac-12 already announced that they will play conference-only schedules. Numerous leagues outside the Football Bowl Subdivision will not play football in the fall.
The ACC already has determined each school’s 10 opponents, but the week-by-week schedule will be released at a later date.
“Today’s decision was made after months of thoughtful planning by numerous individuals throughout the conference,” ACC Commissioner John Swofford said in a statement. “The Board’s decision presents a path, if public health guidance allows, to move forward with competition. Our institutions are committed to taking the necessary measures to facilitate the return in a safe and responsible manner. We recognize that we may need to be nimble and make adjustments in the future. We will be as prepared as possible should that need arise.”
Fall non-football sports can begin play Sept. 10 with conference schedules for team sports that meet the NCAA’s requirement for minimum number of games — six for field hockey, women’s soccer and men’s soccer, and 10 for volleyball. Additional games against conference or nonconference opponents in those sports, as well as cross-country competitions, can be held at each school’s discretion.
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