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44m ago

ACC Votes to Add Ninth League Game, Set 10 Power Four Opponents Per Season

The shift responds to new CFP metrics that place a premium on wins over quality opponents.

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Sep 6, 2025; Berkeley, California, USA; The California Golden Bears and Atlantic Coast Conference logos are affixed to an end zone pylon during the first quarter against the Texas Southern Tigers at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images/File photo
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Overview

  • ACC athletic directors overwhelmingly approved a future model with nine conference games and a minimum of 10 Power Four opponents, pending formal adoption by the Faculty Athletics Representatives.
  • Reporting indicates a phased rollout with most teams moving to nine conference games in 2026, progressing to 16 teams on a 9+1 format by 2027 while one team follows an 8+2 plan to accommodate existing contracts.
  • Notre Dame’s five-game ACC scheduling agreement and the league’s 17 football members complicate the rotation, with some years potentially yielding 11 Power Four opponents for certain teams.
  • Schools with annual SEC rivalries and previously scheduled neutral-site games may need to cancel or renegotiate nonconference matchups to meet the new requirements.
  • The move aligns the ACC with the Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC on nine league games, with the ACC and SEC also mandating 10 Power Four opponents each season.