ACC Unveils New Football Scheduling Model for 2024-2030 with Additions of California, Stanford and SMU

New scheduling format to encompass 17 football-playing ACC members with protected rival matches, no-division structure, and specific considerations for travel requirements.

The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) has introduced a new football scheduling model for 2024-2030 to include new members California, Stanford, and SMU. The 17 football-playing ACC member schools will play each other at least twice over this seven-season stretch.
The new scheduling model retains a no-division format and protects 16 annual matchups, including longstanding league matchups such as Florida State-Clemson and North Carolina-Virginia. Notably, California and Stanford, formerly Pac-12 peers, will be paired together along with annual games versus SMU.
Travel requirements were a major consideration in the new model, especially with the ACC expanding beyond its eastern-seaboard footprint. For example, no current ACC team will travel west to California in consecutive seasons, and the new West Coast schools will only need to make three eastward ventures per season.
While most schools have two protected rivalry games under the new scheduling model, some like Clemson only have one, and Georgia Tech and Louisville have none. This allows for greater flexibility in creating the schedule.
The new model will increase the number of league games from 56 to 68 to provide more content for TV partner ESPN. The specific game dates will be announced later, with the top two teams set to meet in the ACC title game.