The 2020 ACC football schedule will have a different look this year due to the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
On Wednesday, the ACC officially announced a new format for the 2020 ACC football schedule, and it will include the Notre Dame Fighting Irish as a full member of the conference.
Each ACC team, plus Notre Dame, will play ten conference games and one non-conference game. The non-conference game must be played in the state of the ACC team, per the release. The move eliminates three non-conference games for each team, plus marquee games such as Virginia vs. Georgia and Florida State vs. West Virginia, which were both scheduled to be played in in Atlanta, Ga.
ACC teams will not begin play in Week Zero or Week One. Instead, they will kick off their seasons during the week of Sept. 7-12.
There will be no divisions and the two teams with the highest conference winning percentage will play in the ACC Championship Game at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C., on either December 12 or December 19. Notre Dame is eligible to play in the championship game plus play in the Orange Bowl if not selected as a College Football Playoff semifinal team.
All television revenue for the 2020 season, including Notre Dame’s home games televised by NBC, will be shared equally by all 15 league members.
The complete week-by-week scheduled as well as television designations will be released at a later date.
Opponents for each ACC team, plus Notre Dame, can be found in the graphic below.
“As we look ahead to the fall, the safety of our students, staff and overall campus community continues to be our top priority,” said Kent Syverud, Chancellor of Syracuse University and the Chair of the ACC Board of Directors. “Today’s announcement outlines a specific path for ACC fall sports to return to intercollegiate athletic competition using comprehensive protocols put forward by our ACC Medical Advisory Group. As a league, we understand the need to stay flexible and be prepared to adjust as medical information evolves in conjunction with local and state health guidelines.”
“Today’s decision was made after months of thoughtful planning by numerous individuals throughout the conference,” said ACC Commissioner John Swofford. “The Board’s decision presents a path, if public health guidance allows, to move forward with competition. Our institutions are committed to taking the necessary measures to facilitate the return in a safe and responsible manner. We recognize that we may need to be nimble and make adjustments in the future. We will be as prepared as possible should that need arise.”