Big changes are coming to the ACC in men’s basketball this year.
The ACC will move from a 20-game conference schedule down to 18 games.
This decision will impact Notre Dame as well as the other 17 teams in the ACC.
The ACC has played a 20-game league schedule since 2019-20.
According to a CBS Sports report, the incentive behind the change was to create opportunities for MORE ACC teams to make the NCAA tournament after just 4 teams made the field this year.
Each ACC team will play one primary partner both home and away as well as one variable partner home and away. The variable partner will be determined each season.
Notre Dame’s primary partner is Boston College, meaning they will face the Eagles twice as part of the new schedule. The Irish will not play one ACC team each year on a rotating basis.
“As a league, we have been transparent about the importance of ACC Men’s Basketball and specifically our commitment to ensuring it is best positioned for the future,” said ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips, Ph.D. “Moving to an 18-game conference schedule is a direct result of our ongoing strategic review and analysis and provides our schools a better balance of non-conference and conference games, while also allowing them more autonomy in the scheduling process. This decision reflects our on-going prioritization to do what’s best for ACC Men’s Basketball, and we appreciate the thoughtfulness of our membership and the support from our television partners.”
The change will start this December.
Primary Partners:
Boston College-Notre Dame
Clemson-Georgia Tech
California-Stanford
Duke-North Carolina
Florida State-Miami
Louisville-SMU
NC State-Wake Forest
Pitt-Syracuse
Virginia Tech-Virginia