The ACC Board of Directors announced Wednesday that all seven conference-sponsored fall sports will begin competition the week of Sept. 7-12.
The other big news involves football and Notre Dame, which will play a 10-game conference schedule and be eligible to compete in the 2020 ACC Championship Game.
All television revenue for the 2020 season, including Notre Dame’s home games broadcast by NBC, will be shared equally by all 15 institutions.
The ACC football season will follow a scheduling model featuring 11 games – 10 conference games plus one non-conference game that will have to be played in the home state of the ACC school – with two bye weeks built in.
The two-division structure will be scrapped for 2020, with the ACC Championship Game set to be played either Dec. 12 or Dec. 19 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, featuring the top two teams based on highest conference-game winning percentage.
All 15 teams will continue to be part of the ACC’s bowl selection process; should Notre Dame win the ACC Football Championship Game, it would be eligible for the Orange Bowl, if not selected as a College Football Playoff semifinal team
The announcement related to football and the other fall sports follows several months of discussion and scenario planning among the league membership and Medical Advisory Group.
“As we look ahead to the fall, the safety of our students, staff and overall campus community continues to be our top priority,” said Kent Syverud, chancellor of Syracuse University and chair of the ACC Board of Directors. “Today’s announcement outlines a specific path for ACC fall sports to return to intercollegiate athletic competition using comprehensive protocols put forward by our ACC Medical Advisory Group. As a league, we understand the need to stay flexible and be prepared to adjust as medical information evolves in conjunction with local and state health guidelines.”
“Today’s decision was made after months of thoughtful planning by numerous individuals throughout the conference,” said ACC Commissioner John Swofford. “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.”
The ACC’s Medical Advisory Group, which has been meeting weekly since the spring to share information on the impact of COVID-19 on ACC campuses and intercollegiate athletics, has recommended minimum standards for each campus to follow as fall sports return.
Among those recommendations are weekly testing for close contact sports, standards for reporting positive test results, and protocols for cleaning and sanitizing competition areas.
The full report is available on theACC.com (CLICK HERE).
ACC Fall Olympic Sports
- Fall Olympic Sports competition may begin on Thursday, Sept. 10
- Team sports will play a conference schedule that meets the NCAA minimum amount of games: field hockey (6), women’s soccer (6), men’s soccer (6) and volleyball (10)
- Schools will continue to schedule regular season cross country competitions at their discretion
- Any additional games against conference opponents or non-conference opponents are at the respective school’s discretion and all opponents must meet the ACC’s medical standards
- Any additional games against conference opponents that are beyond the conference-mandated schedules would not count in the ACC standings
ACC Fall Championships
- The cross country championships will be held at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C. on October 30, and include all 15 member schools
- The field hockey championship will be held at Duke University on Nov. 5, 6 and 8
- The women’s soccer championship will include the top four teams and be held at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C. on Nov. 6 and 8, as previously announced
- The men’s soccer championship will include the top four teams and be held at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C. on Nov. 13 and 15
- Television selections via the ACC’s partnership with ESPN and ACC Network will be made in the future
ACC Winter and Spring Olympic Sports
- Competition in the sports of swimming and diving, indoor track and field and fencing will be postponed until at least Sept. 10
- Fall competition in the sports of men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s tennis, rowing, men’s and women’s lacrosse, softball and baseball has been canceled
- Student-athletes in golf and tennis continue to be eligible to compete unattached
- Teams in all sports may continue practice at their institution’s discretion
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