Report: ACC Expected to Play 10-Game Conference-Only Schedule in 2020
The ACC is reportedly leaning towards a major decision regarding the 2020 season in the near future.
Stadium reporter Brett McMurphy on Thursday afternoon reported that it’s expected ACC conference members will be playing a 10-game conference-only schedule for the 2020 season.
ACC football also expected to play conference-only games, sources told @Stadium. Last month, ACC commish John Swofford told @Stadium if Power 5 schools played conference-only schedules that ACC would assist Notre Dame with as many games as it needed
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) July 9, 2020
McMurphy followed up that report by tweeting; “No “official” decision has been reached by ACC, sources said, but likely outcome will be league only games based on Big Ten’s announcement.”.
The expected decision follows multiple decisions in the college football world over the last few days including the Big Ten also announcing on Thursday that they’ll be playing a 10-game conference only schedule as well. On Wednesday, the Ivy League announced that they’ll not be holding any fall sports this year. That of course doesn’t include the ACC’s announcement early on Thursday that Olympic sports wouldn’t start until September 2nd at the least.
For the Yellow Jackets, that means games against UCF, Gardner-Webb, and Georgia will not happen this season. It will be the first time since 1924 that the Yellow Jackets and Bulldogs have not played each other. The Yellow Jackets, however, will still play Notre Dame still this season as the Fighting Irish will be part of the ACC for the 2020 season as they already had six games scheduled against ACC opponents.
In regards to the Jackets canceled games, it is still too early to tell and know what that will mean for future schedules. Notably, the Yellow Jackets series with UCF was set to end in 2020 after the first game of the series was cancelled in 2017 due to Hurricane Irma.
Additionally, it’s worth noting the Jackets current schedule would have them playing nine games thanks to the Notre Dame game (eight conference games annually + ND) meaning they would face one additional ACC Atlantic team this season. From the Atlantic, the Jackets are already slated to play Clemson and Syracuse this season.