According to multiple sources, the ACC is changing its plan format, which will require all league teams to play at least 10 games against Power 4, although the number of games in the conference (8 or 9) remains a shocking point.
The athletic director is scheduled to be held in Charlotte to discuss details about the move to the nine-game section and need another Power 4 game or the “8+2” model at the conference or will provide more flexibility for schools that already have annual non-conference competitors offer.
“The commitment to a four-game ACC in the Top 10 games is a big step forward,” said Clemson athletic director Graham Neff. “This shows the position of college football and tends to emphasize the importance of scheduling and more Power 4 matchups.”
Editing selection
2 Related
Neff is one of the few ads to follow, that the nine-game Slate will have problems with limiting the school’s ability to play Marquee non-conference games, just like Clemson did in Week 1 of this season against LSU.
The Tigers play South Carolina every year and will also play a game against Notre Dame starting in 2027.
Straw polls of 13 of the ACC’s 17 athletic directors showed nine support or fit nine games, while Clemson and Florida were concerned about the impact of non-conference programs.
The SEC announced last month that it would move from eight to nine, a decision that has also sparked interest in tweaking its planned model.
ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips wants to see conferences compete in nine league games a year and asks each school to arrange a match outside of the meeting with another Power 4 School, essentially matching the SEC’s new strategy, according to multiple sources. ACC schools should have at least one Power 4 non-conference game every year, but the rule has not been implemented yet and there are several plans to avoid a tougher timeline. Sources told ESPN that the current dialogue has reached a consensus that the top 10 four games must be the minimum forward enforced.
One administrator said the league seemed inevitable to play in nine league games. Duke coach Manny Diaz agrees.
“I think it's very weird to be the only meeting in nine games,” Diaz said. “Usually, when you're the only person doing something, it's either really good or really bad. It feels like everything you want to do in college sports.”
The SEC move coincides with a revised guide to the College Football Playoffs Committee that highlights the power of opponents. SEC schools are also expected to see revenue increase from their TV partner ESPN as they increase conference games.
During a conference call on Wednesday, various plans were introduced to the ACC ads, although some of them said there was little understanding of how potential changes were accepted in the ESPN or CFP committee. Indeed, as Miami Advertising Dan Radakovich pointed out, the ideal formula for the 12-team playoffs and the extended version may not be the same, but the ACC will need to decide its schedule fate before knowing what the future playoffs will look like.
“Hope Jim [Phillips] Radakovich said that when we get together on Monday and help set up the table, there will be some in-depth understanding, hey, nine are very important for the table seats we have with other CFP specialists and Power 4 meetings,” Radakovich said. This is another driver we don’t know. We will have to make this decision without that knowledge and try to cast it in the best way we can.”
If changes are made, no additional revenue is expected to come from ESPN. The ACC has also changed its income distribution model starting in 2025, providing higher incomes to schools based on TV ratings.
“It is important that we continue to be strategic as we provide value to our media partners,” Neff said. “And how the ACC adapts to our financial allocation model, which has a direct school income impact with any other conference.”
How many leagues should have played in the ACC over the past decade? In 2012, the ACC agreed to play “Nine Games”, but then decided to stay at 8 o'clock after joining Syracuse and Pittsburgh and reaching an arrangement agreement with Notre Dame the following year. Clemson, Florida, Georgia Tech and Louisville’s intrinsic non-conference competition game against SEC competitors has been any of these discussions.
For these four teams, their competitive matches, as well as nine matches, will provide a full list of 10 Power 4 matches – over the years, these schools’ games are more games, and as part of the league agreement, it needs to be played against the Irish every year, which is part of the league agreement. There is almost no room for election matchups like Clemson LSU or Florida-Alabama, both games received monster ratings in Week 1 of the season, each attracting more than 10 million viewers.
But once the ACC moves to the nine-game section, future campaign non-conference showdowns may disappear, which could lower overall product and curb revenue opportunities as the ACC’s new distribution model provides more funding for schools with better TV ratings, Neff said.
Radakovich noted that games like this week's showdown with Florida are unlikely to continue moving forward due to restrictions on a larger meeting schedule, but said he will continue to talk to Florida AD Scott Stricklin.
“It's going to be a real tough sell, as Florida has nine SEC games and a competitive game with FSU,” Ladakovic said. “Scott and I will have some chats to see if it will happen, but it's going to be some tough sledding.”
Louisville Ad Josh Heird said his school will still arrange the best non-conference matches, even if that means 4 games in the Top 11. The Cardinal will play the Future Games against Georgia in 2026 and 2027 and the Texas A&M in 2028 and 2029.
“Play a good team,” Hend said. “We play Kentucky every year, and we have occasional Notre Dame. We definitely want to live with Georgia and Texas A&M. I think the kids want to play those games, too.”
However, several ads have expressed concern that series like Louisville in Georgia and Texas A&M will disappear as the SEC radiates from such games as its team will compete in nine league games. Others suggest that the SEC and Big Ten (two leagues with the greatest financial influence) can work together for non-conference planning, while the ACC and Big 12 have few options to fill out their slate, especially if the ACC has two Power 4 non-conference games.
An ad in favor of the 9+1 model said, “You can't guarantee 10.” “That's the question. Who said the other Powers 4 leagues want to arrange ACC schools?”
One alternative could be that the ACC team schedules non-conference games like NC State and Virginia did in Week 2. However, several ads have expressed doubts about the program, suggesting that fans are very confused about which ACC vs. ACC vs. ACC matchups are calculated in the league, without.
Anyway, ACC will have to solve a more basic math problem. With 17 football match members, all schools are unable to participate in 9 conference matches.
An initial plan involved a game with Notre Dame – ACC members in all sports except football – counted as conference games. Multiple ads told ESPN that plans have been put on hold for the time being, which could be an unbalanced model in which at least one team will compete in only eight meeting games, while the remaining nine games are on the way.
The meeting in Charlotte on Monday is expected to bring the league closer to the final decision, but some sources say they do not expect a formal vote for weeks and are equally doubtful that this will take effect in the 2026 season.
“Let's try to set our course,” Radakovic said. “The discussion will take place on Monday, but hopefully it will be decided soon afterwards.