The big order of business at the ACC Winter Meetings, which wrapped up on Wednesday, was deciding what to do about trying to fit 18 schools into the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments.
The conference went with what seemed logical: deciding to send out invites to the top 15 teams.
Meaning that, starting with the 2024-2025 season, three schools won’t even make the conference tournaments.
The move leaves intact the scheduling format in place for several years now, with the top four teams in each getting double-byes into the tournament quarterfinals, the five through nine seeds getting single-byes into the second round, and six having to battle it out in opening-day matchups.
The badge of dishonor has been, and will be, for one more year, having to play on Tuesday; now those programs won’t feel so bad.
The members also decided to keep the 20-game conference schedule for the guys and the 18-game schedule for the women.