RIP to the old Atlantic and Coastal division and hello to the new ACC.
The ACC announced that their previous model for match-up will no longer be used and instead will be adopting a new model starting next year in 2023. This new model allows for all schools in the division to play 3 schools annually and the other 10 schools 2x during a 4-year schedule.
Read more about college football.
How does this affect the ACC?
With the new model taking place in 2023, every team will play each other twice, once at and the other away. According to the ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips:
”It was clear this model is in the best interest of our student athletes, programs and fans, at this time.”
The top two teams, based on winning percentage, will face on to compete in the ACC Championships. Now, this may affect rivalry in the ACC. For example, Wake Forest only has one set opponent in North Carolina. Pit fans also might not be too thrilled with this new setup due to the fact that there would be no rivalry with Boston College. Geographically, this new model is not based it seems to be just a cluster of colleges.
Other conferences could take note of this new model, as it will ensure that all athletes have a chance to compete against one another, such as the Big Ten conference.
Listed below are the 3 teams each school would play primarily:
- 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
The ACC now joins one of five conferences to ditch divisions. Since 2011, The Big 12 removed division and has operated without since then. The American did away with the divisional format last year, whereas The Pac-12 and Mountain West have also voted to eliminate divisions for 2023. Currently, the Pac 12 is in discussion to figure out the best route to go.
Listed below is a rundown of every FBS conference and where it stands on having divisions or not:
- American
2021: 11 teams, no divisions, eight games
Future: 14 teams, no divisions, eight games - ACC
2021: 14 teams, two divisions, eight games
Future: 14 teams, no divisions, eight games - Big Ten
2021: 14 teams, two divisions, nine games
Future: 14 teams, N/A - Big 12
2021: 10 teams, no divisions, nine games
2023-24: 14 teams, N/A
Future: 12 teams, N/A - Conference USA
2021: 14 teams, two divisions, eight games
2022: 11 teams, no divisions, eight games
Future: Nine teams, no divisions, eight games - MAC
2021: 12 teams, two divisions, eight games
Future: 12 teams, two divisions, eight games - Mountain West
2021: 12 teams, two divisions, eight games
Future: 12 teams, no divisions, eight games (talk of going to nine) - Pac-12
2021: 12 teams, two divisions, nine games
Future: 12 teams, no divisions, nine games - SEC
2021: 14 teams, two divisions, eight games
Future: 16 teams, N/A - Sun Belt
2021: 10 teams, two divisions, eight games
Future: 14 teams, two divisions, eight games
Out of all the schedules, Pitt is expected to have one of the easiest in terms of opponents. Whereas Boston colleges is expected to have one of the toughest schedules against opponents like Clemson and Louisville.
It will be interesting to see how the ACC student-athletes play amongst each other as well as how they rank up against other divisions.
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