The ACC is moving forward with the new football scheduling model proposed earlier this year that will have each program face three primary opponents annually and the other 10 league teams twice during the four-year cycle, once at home and once on the road.
The University of Virginia’s three primary opponents under the new model are Louisville, North Carolina and Virginia Tech.
The advantage to the schedule is that it allows each program to face all 13 conference opponents home and away at least once during the four-year cycle.
The disadvantage to programs like Virginia, Virginia Tech, pretty much the entirety of the current Coastal Division: divisional play will go away, and the path to the ACC Championship Game just got that much harder.
For Virginia, which has won one Coastal Division title, in 2019, and Virginia Tech, which has won six Coastal titles, the most recent in 2016, it means having to outperform 12 other programs to get to Charlotte, instead of the current six.
No team has played in the title game with less than six wins since 2012, and in five of the last seven years, two teams finished conference play with zero or one ACC loss.
For Virginia, in particular, this is a barrier that seems a bit high to be able to reach: the program has had, technically, three one-loss ACC seasons – in 1984 (3-1-2), 1989 (6-1) and 1995 (7-1).
Anyway, it’s the law of the land now, since the structure was adopted by the league’s athletic directors and faculty athletic representatives earlier today.
Here’s a quote from ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips selling the merits of the plan: “The future ACC football scheduling model provides significant enhancements for our schools and conference, with the most important being our student-athletes having the opportunity to play every school both home and away over a four-year period. We appreciate the thoughtful discussions within our membership, including the head football coaches and athletic directors. In the end, it was clear this model is in the best interest of our student-athletes, programs and fans, at this time.”
Left out of the quote: it’s all about TV.
And then this quote from UVA athletics director Carla Williams: “The new model creates several enhancements for ACC football, which will be beneficial to the league, our student-athletes and our fans.”
Meh. I mean, no it won’t.
One more quote, from UVA coach Tony Elliott: “I am excited to compete under the new scheduling model. I am very grateful that our student-athletes will have an opportunity to experience a game day environment at every other institution in the ACC.”
Just maybe not Charlotte in December.
The three primary partners for each ACC program
Boston College: Miami, Pitt, Syracuse- Clemson: Florida State, Georgia Tech, NC State
- Duke: North Carolina, NC State, Wake Forest
- Florida State: Clemson, Miami, Syracuse
- Georgia Tech: Clemson, Louisville, Wake Forest
- Louisville: Georgia Tech, Miami, Virginia
- Miami: Boston College, Florida State, Louisville
- North Carolina: Duke, NC State, Virginia
- NC State: Clemson, Duke, North Carolina
- Pitt: Boston College, Syracuse, Virginia Tech
- Syracuse: Boston College, Florida State, Pitt
- Virginia: Louisville, North Carolina, Virginia Tech
- Virginia Tech: Pitt, Virginia, Wake Forest
- Wake Forest: Duke, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech
Virginia’s 2023-2026 ACC schedules
2023
- Home: Duke, Georgia Tech, NC State, Virginia Tech
- Away: Boston College, Louisville, Miami, North Carolina
2024
- Home: Florida State, Louisville, North Carolina, Wake Forest
- Away: Clemson, Duke, Pitt, Virginia Tech
2025
- Home: Boston College, Miami, Syracuse, Virginia Tech
- Away: Georgia Tech, Louisville, North Carolina, NC State
2026
- Home: Clemson, Louisville, North Carolina, Pitt
- Away: Florida State, Syracuse, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest
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Chris Graham
