Monday, we asked the question, “Is a nine-game conference schedule coming to the ACC?” Two days later, we all have our answer.
Following a vote of its athletic directors, the ACC announced Wednesday that the conference will continue to play an eight-game league schedule in football. As of yet, there’s no word as to how the voting shook out, although the fact that Notre Dame has a football scheduling agreement with the league along with a handful of annual rivalry games with SEC teams likely made it at least an 8-6 split against going to nine league games.
The conference will continue to require its members to schedule at least one game per year against another Power Five conference member.#BREAKING: #ACC ADs vote to continue playing an eight-game league schedule with at least one Power Five nonconference game. #ACCFootball pic.twitter.com/XAU2d7EIP4
— ACC Football (@theACCfootball) October 5, 2016
The Big 12, Pac-12 and Big Ten currently play nine-game league slates, with the SEC joining the ACC as the Power Five holdouts on that front. The Big Ten and SEC also have the Power Five requirement for at least one non-conference game per season.
Additionally, the Big Ten is the lone Power Five league to ban its teams from scheduling future games against FCS opponents.