What we do and don’t know about how the ACC football 10 + 1 model affects NC State
The ACC announced Wednesday that its football teams will play a conference-only schedule, plus one nonconference game, this season amid mounting concerns over the coronavirus.
The ACC’s announcement follows the lead of other Power 5 conferences, which have also announced conference-only schedules in 2020. A new scheduling format brings some good news ahead of fall camp for N.C. State.
“It’s exciting to know we are a step closer to being able to play,” Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren told the N&O via email on Wednesday. “More than anything I am happy for our players. Knowing that all the hard work they have invested has games on the other side of it helps their mental health. I look forward to competing with the teams we have and eventually knowing the order we play them in.”
N.C. State athletic director Boo Corrigan told the N&O the health and safety of the players, coaches and staff remains a top priority.
“Today’s decision provides a path forward, if safe and responsible circumstances permit, for Fall sport to occur,” Corrigan said on Wednesday afternoon. “There has been a great deal of time spent and conversation to reach this point, and we’ll continue that in the weeks ahead.”
HOW MANY GAMES WILL BE AFFECTED?
N.C. State had four nonconference games on its original schedule. The Wolfpack were scheduled to host Mississippi State, Delaware and Liberty and play at Troy. N.C. State gets one nonconference game and it has to be played in the state of North Carolina.
Todd Wetmore, Liberty associate AD for communications, sent a statement to the N&O Thursday morning saying that the Flames plan on playing all 12 games on its schedule in 2020, including three contests against ACC schools.
“Liberty remains in communication with the three ACC schools that are on our 2020 football schedule (Virginia Tech, Syracuse and N.C. State) with the hope to play these games this season.”
On July 17, the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) suspended all fall sports, which means the Blue Hens won’t play any football games in 2020.
The Wolfpack were set to open the 2020 season on Sept. 2 at Louisville, but won’t face the Cardinals in the revised schedule. Since there are no divisions with the revised schedule, N.C. State won’t face regular foes Clemson and Boston College, along with Louisville. Several media outlets reported on Wednesday, hours after the ACC announcement, that the SEC was considering a 10-game, conference only schedule. That could mean no visit to Raleigh from the Bulldogs. Although, if that happens with the SEC, it will be interesting to see if the ACC goes to conference-only as well, eliminating the +1, as it is widely believed that the +1 was included to try and preserve rivalry games against SEC schools, such as Clemson-South Carolina and Florida-Florida State.
WILL STATE FACE PENALTIES FOR CANCELED GAMES?
The coronavirus presents unique circumstances for all programs. Typically contracts are signed years in advance and if a school breaches within 12 months of the game there is a healthy fine. It is unclear if Delaware or Mississippi State will face a fine if they are unable to make it to Raleigh, or if the Wolfpack will have to pay a fine to Troy.
When reached for comment on Thursday and asked if any penalties are on the horizon for N.C. State or its opponents, Fred Demarest, senior associate AD for communications said the school was “still sorting out a variety of factors in regards to the nonconference piece.”
WILL THE 2020 SEASON BE DELAYED?
Yes. The ACC schedule won’t start until Sept. 7. That’s five days after the Wolfpack were originally scheduled to start the season.
WHAT WOULD IT TAKE FOR N.C. STATE TO REACH THE ACC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME?
There will no longer be any divisions. It will be one conference with 15 teams, including Notre Dame. The top two teams with the highest conference-game winning percentage will advance to the ACC Championship game in Charlotte.
The good news for Wolfpack fans is that path to a higher winning percentage will be a lot easier without Clemson and Notre Dame on the schedule. It seems the scheduling gods blessed N.C. State in that regard.
WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?
While some leagues, like the Ivy League, MEAC, and CAA, have suspended fall sports completely, the Power 5 conferences have stayed on course as they tried to come up with a solution to get on the field in 2020. The Big Ten was the first Power 5 conference to switch to a conference-only model.
And the ACC has said it wants to ensure “return to competition protocols are in place to facilitate the re-socialization process.”
