ACC Announces Football Schedule Changes and Adjustments
GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – The Atlantic Coast Conference announced today several football schedule changes, as well as adjustments to its Medical Advisory Group Report.
Following a recommendation from the conference Athletic Director football subcommittee, the league’s Athletic Directors have voted to preserve the integrity of the ACC Football Championship Game by evaluating each of the three teams in contention (Clemson, Miami and Notre Dame) based on a nine-game conference schedule. As a result, Clemson and Notre Dame will conclude the regular season this weekend.
Wake Forest, which was scheduled to play Notre Dame on Dec. 12, will now play at Louisville. Florida State will play host to Duke on Saturday, Dec. 12, and Florida State will travel to Wake Forest on Dec. 19.
Thursday, Dec. 10
- Pitt at Georgia Tech (previously announced)
Saturday, Dec. 12
- Virginia at Virginia Tech (previously announced)
- North Carolina at Miami (previously announced)
- Duke at Florida State
- Wake Forest at Louisville
Saturday, Dec. 19
- ACC Football Championship Game, 4 p.m., ABC (previously announced)
- Georgia Tech at Miami (previously announced and if Miami is not in the FCG)
- Florida State at Wake Forest
Should a game(s) involving Clemson, Miami or Notre Dame not be played this weekend, the ACC has the option to reschedule games on Dec. 12 as needed. Based on the current standings and results to date, Notre Dame holds all tiebreakers and has therefore secured a berth in the ACC Football Championship Game.
In addition, following guidance from its Medical Advisory Group, adjustments to the testing of football teams have been made. Each team will be required to have a PCR test administered on Thursday with a result prior to the visiting team traveling to the game locale. The Chief Medical Officers from each team will confirm results and attest that there is every expectation that the game will be played. While the Medical Advisory Group has not identified evidence of virus transmission during competition, this adjustment will mitigate the chances of unnecessary interaction between team members and outside individuals that are inevitable during travel. The current ACC Medical Advisory Group report is located here (full report).
As was previously announced, the 2020 ACC Football scheduling model includes 11 games (10 conference plus one non-conference), played over at least 13 weeks with each team having two open dates. Through games of Nov. 28, the ACC has played 74 of its 85 scheduled games (87.1 percent).