ACC moves title game to noon in schedule announcement - ESPN

For the first time since 2008, the ACC will play its conference championship game in the noon Saturday window on championship weekend — a move that will put the conference front and center for its TV window after years competing with the Big Ten for evening viewership.

The announcement of the title game's move from its usual 8 p.m. ET time slot was part of the ACC's 2026 schedule release Monday, which also included details on a busy opening weekend that will include games spread out over at least four days, along with a pair of international contests scheduled for Week 0.

The ACC's shift in championship game schedule comes as part of a drive to add more eyeballs to the game and draw more fans to Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. In the noon window, the ACC will be the lone Power Four conference playing at the time, kicking off a Saturday slate of title games.

The earlier kick time also figures to make attendance more palatable given that the league is the lone power conference to play its championship game in an outdoor stadium. The temperature at kickoff at last season's championship game between Duke and Virginia was 31 degrees.

The league announced full schedules for all 17 teams Monday as well, a year in which the ACC plans to transition to a nine-game conference slate. Five teams — Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech, North Carolina and Boston College — will play just eight conference games, while the remaining 12 will play nine in 2026. Beginning in 2027, all but one school will play nine league games each season.

The ACC is also strengthening its commitment to maximize Friday night windows, with at least 19 games set to be played on a Friday this season.

The 2026 season kicks off with five ACC