The ACC, coming down from celebrating getting just an at-large bid into the 2025 College Football Playoff, is rolling out what can only be termed as a weird conference schedule for 2026, which has 12 schools playing a nine-game conference schedule, and five others playing an eight-game conference schedule.
Make it make sense.
“Today’s announcement of our 2026 football league opponents is another significant and intentional step forward for ACC Football,” ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips said in a press release issued on Tuesday. “Transitioning to a nine-game conference schedule strengthens our competitive framework, aligns us with the other Power 4 conferences and provides greater consistency for our student-athletes, coaches and fans. This phased approach reflects our commitment to competitive equity, scheduling flexibility and delivering a premier football product across all 17 institutions.”
That doesn’t make it make sense.
The excuse for why five schools are getting away with an eight-game schedule, per the press release, is to “honor existing non-conference game contracts,” which, seems easy enough to resolve.
The five who don’t want to give up one of their four nonconference games have to choose.
That, or, just another idea here, have everybody play an eight-game schedule in 2026, and begin the nine-game schedule in 2027.
The goal with the nine-game schedule is to get everybody to play 10 of their 12 games against Power 4s; OK, so, tell the ADs and coaches to schedule two nonconference Power 4s.
Instead, we’re getting 12 schools playing nine games, five playing eight, and we’re told, in the press release, that the conference will announce an update to its tiebreaker policy ahead of the 2026 season.
Another dumb move from a group of dumb people who don’t know how to run a sport.
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Chris Graham
