ACC's New Football Schedule: 12 Teams to Play 9 League Games in 2026, Others to Stay at 8

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The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) has announced its new football scheduling model, which will see 12 of its 17 member teams playing nine league games in 2026. The remaining five teams will stick to the traditional eight-game schedule. As part of the transition, reigning champion Duke will join 11 other teams, including California, Louisville, and Miami, in playing nine league games next fall. However, Boston College, Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech, and North Carolina will play only eight games. The new schedule is designed to have teams play a total of 10 games against Power Four opponents, with the rotating team playing an eight-game league slate aiming to meet that target. The ACC is also examining its football tiebreaker process for the championship game, with an updated policy to be announced before the 2026 season. The current policy came under scrutiny during the recent ACC championship game, where five-loss Duke won a tiebreaker to reach the title game and ultimately claim the outright ACC title since 1962. The ACC had used an eight-game football schedule since 1992, with a 10-game schedule in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The new scheduling model is a step towards aligning with power-conference peers in the Big 12, Big Ten, and Southeastern conferences, who already have nine-game slates. The ACC aims to have all 17 teams playing nine games regularly by 2027.