ACC moving to 9 league games, aligning with rest of Power 4 - ESPN

ACC athletic directors agreed Monday to move to a nine-game conference schedule after meetings in Charlotte, North Carolina, joining the other Power 4 leagues in going to nine conference games.

As part of the new scheduling model, league teams will now be required to play 10 Power 4 games. Most teams will begin playing nine conference games plus one Power 4 game in 2026.

Multiple ACC teams have return nonconference or neutral site nonconference games scheduled for next season, including Florida State at Alabama, Clemson at LSU, SMU at Baylor, Duke at Illinois, Georgia Tech at Colorado, North Carolina-TCU in Dublin, Ireland, and Virginia-West Virginia in Charlotte.

In a statement, ACC commissioner Jim Phillips said athletics directors «overwhelmingly» supported the change from eight conference games to nine. Conversations about moving to a nine-game conference schedule ramped up after the SEC made the decision to move to nine league games last month. The SEC and Big 12 also are requiring conference teams to play 10 Power 4 games.

The Big 12 and Big Ten have already been at nine conference games.

«We have been incredibly intentional throughout our discussions on ACC football, including the future of our conference schedule,» Phillips said in a statement. «This positions the ACC as one of only two leagues committed to having every team annually play a minimum of 10 games against Power 4 teams. There will be additional discussions and more details to be determined, but today's decision showcases the commitment and leadership of our ADs in balancing what is best for strengthening the conference and for their respective programs.»

The new scheduling model will be presented to the faculty athletics representatives for formal