In preparation for Syracuse and Pittsburgh joining the conference, the ACC announced that it will expand conference schedules and introduce a new scheduling model for both football and basketball.
ACC commisioner John Swofford praised the universities in the conference, stating, “It’s a tremendous tribute to the leadership at our schools that we will be able to seamlessly add Pitt and Syracuse at the appropriate time when they become full playing members.”
Football conference play will expand from eight conference games to nine on Syracuse and Pittsburgh officially join the ACC. Pittsburgh will join the Coastal Division and Syracuse will join Clemson in the Atlantic Division. The new scheduling model will allow teams to play all six other members in their division, its primary crossover rival, and two rotating opponents from the other division every year.
The list of crossover rivals goes as followed: Clemson-Georgia Tech, Duke-North Carolina, Virginia-Virginia Tech, Miami-Florida State, Syracuse-Boston College, Pittsburgh-Maryland, and NC State-Wake Forest.
Basketball conference play will expand from 16 games to 18 games starting next season. The new scheduling model is based on a three-year cycle where teams play every other team at least once a season, with a rotating home-and-home series with four opponents, along with a home-and-home series with their cross division rival (listed above).
The conference said that creating a more competitive balance was the driving factor behind the new scheduling models, but the new formatting will end some traditional basketball home-and-home rivalries.
