The SEC announced its move to 9 conference games. What will the ACC do?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- The SEC's shift to a 9-game format pressures the ACC to reconsider its model.
- NC State’s Dave Doeren cites both rivalry impacts and scheduling limits as key concerns.
- Previous comments from Commissioner Jim Phillips indicate possible ACC switch following SEC decision.
The ACC remains the only Power Four conference to play eight conference football games after the SEC announced its decision to play nine next season. N.C. State head coach Dave Doeren sees that as a potential gain for some teams and a potential disadvantage for others.
Doeren said on Friday during a news conference that he would support Commissioner Jim Phillips if the league opted to make the change. He also understands the arguments for and against the change.
Many teams in the ACC have SEC rivals they play regularly. Florida State plays Florida. Louisville plays Kentucky. Clemson plays South Carolina. Georgia Tech plays Georgia. If they have a nine-game schedule, those teams automatically have nine games against power programs. If they play Notre Dame, which is required to schedule five ACC teams per year, that is a 10th game.
Adding another conference game would limit those teams to one or two additional nonconference contests.
“When you sit in that room with those coaches, some of their schools have an automatic crossover with the SEC,” Doeren said. “In their case, there’s an argument not to do it.”
Teams want to have some flexibility with their nonconference scheduling. Programs may consider recruiting, travel and game experience for backups, among other factors, when building their schedules.
N.C. State would benefit if the ACC moved to a nine-game schedule. It would give the program another guaranteed matchup against another major program. The program previously rescheduled road games against Appalachian State and Louisiana Tech.
It was expected to play Louisiana Tech on the road this season. The game was originally scheduled for Sept. 6. That game was postponed to 2034 when the program decided to play App State on that date. It was later rescheduled for a second time to 2027. It is still expected to take place next season. The Wolfpack’s game with the Mountaineers was then postponed to 2026 in favor of playing Virginia as a nonconference contest.
In addition to Louisiana Tech, the Wolfpack played Western Carolina, Northern Illinois and Tennessee as part of its nonconference slate. A year prior, it played UConn, Marshall, Virginia Military Institute and Notre Dame.
N.C. State, North Carolina and Duke are among the teams that don’t have another rival from a major conference.
Additionally, strength of schedule is a factor in the College Football Playoff, which is why the topic has gained traction in recent years.
“Nine games is great,” Doeren said. “I don’t have a problem with it, but I understand the argument for those teams that do have the other game.”
The ACC, however, has 17 members in football — Notre Dame is unlikely to become a full member — and it is not possible for an odd number of teams to play an odd number of games.
It’s unclear whether it would designate Notre Dame as a conference game for teams needing nine.
Phillips said at that ACC Kickoff conference leaders and coaches discussed the possibility of nine games but did not think it was necessary. He followed up the statement by saying the ACC could move to nine games if the SEC changed its scheduling model.
The commissioner acknowledged the scheduling challenge with 17 games and how to schedule fairly. Phillips noted the possibility of some rivalries going away, as well, if these changes continue. The schedules would be heavily geared toward conference games instead of a larger mix.
“I continue to talk to [SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey], and I talk to [Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti] and [Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark] all the time,” Phillips said. “We have frequent conversations. I mean, no one’s kind of moving in a vacuum on this. We’re exchanging thoughts there. We’ll see.
“At the end of the day, I like where our league is. I like where we’re at in eight games, because we’re playing the type of caliber that I described — 26 really good nonconference games — but we’ll adjust if we have to. I think all of this remains a work in progress.”
