The ACC plans to return to its normal eight-conference divisional format – with Notre Dame as an independent – when the 2021 football season begins in September, the league announced on Thursday.
At its launch, the league noted that the return to the game and the schedule as released depends on the COVID-19 guidelines. Last season, the ACC made changes to its schedule for playing during the coronavirus pandemic, including Notre Dame as a full-time conference member and playing 10 league games.
With an expected return for a more normal season, Notre Dame is returning to its five-game partnership and the league has decided to play the 2021 season as originally scheduled. As a result, there are several repeated website games from 2019 and 2020.
Clemson, again hoping to be the big favorite to win the ACC, opens the season against Georgia on September 4 in Charlotte, North Carolina, in a highly anticipated non-conference game with implications for college football.
Although the ACC played a non-conference game in 2020, the SEC did not, and the various disputes between the SEC and ACC throughout the program are certainly welcome. In addition to the four traditional games of rivalry ACC vs. SEC to close the regular season, the lineup also features Miami against Alabama in Atlanta on September 4 and Louisville against Ole Miss in Atlanta on Labor Day night, September 6. Pitt plays in Tennessee at week 2.
The Tigers open ACC’s schedule against Georgia Tech on September 18 and have a game on Friday night in Syracuse on October 15. The game against Florida State – which was canceled in 2020 hours before the start of the game – is scheduled for October 30 in Clemson.
Notre Dame opens the season at Florida State on Sunday, September 5. The Irish will also play against Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Virginia and Virginia Tech in 2021. The game against Tar Heels could provide another final showdown between teams with College Football playoff hopes.
The season starts with five days of ACC football, starting with a Thursday night showdown between NC State and USF. The biggest game of the conference on the opening weekend is North Carolina at Virginia Tech, two teams that are set to compete for the Coastal Division title, which will be played on September 2-3.
North Carolina and Wake Forest will again play a non-conference game on November 6, in an agreement that was made several years ago for the two teams to play each other more often.
The winners of the Atlantic and Coastal Divisions will play the ACC championship game in Charlotte on December 4.