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The ACC football season will not start on time. Forget all about that NC State-Louisville game on Sept. 2; per Pete Thamel, the league isn’t going to start this season before Sept. 12.
This news comes amid a report from Thamel that the ACC is leaning toward a 10-game conference season with one non-conference game. This would likely mean five home-and-homes, and for a significant portion of the league, a non-conference game against an SEC opponent.
Sources: The ACC is discussing scheduling models, with 10 league games and a "plus one" outside the conference as the favorite. The ACC start date is still being debated between September 12, 19 and 26.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) July 24, 2020
The 10+1 model would allow the various ACC-SEC matchups that were already on the ledger to remain intact: that’s FSU-Florida, Clemson-South Carolina, Georgia Tech-UGA, Louisville-Kentucky. Plus the State-MSU and UNC-Auburn contests that happen to be scheduled for 2020.
A potential 8+1 schedule, which would again make room for one non-conference game, also exists:
Pete spot-on as ever. Eight + 1 also on table. League presidents next scheduled to meet Wednesday. https://t.co/ehSHNE5sfU
— David Teel (@ByDavidTeel) July 24, 2020
Regardless, expect a tighter, more regionally-based ACC schedule, whether they manage to work in a non-conference game or not. NC State might have eight or 10 conference games, for example, but that is not likely to include a routine run through the Atlantic Division, or a single trip outside of bus range.