ACC decides to keep 8-game conference schedule for football


As a partial ACC member, Notre Dame will play five football games a year against ACC teams, while retaining as much of their traditional independent rivalries as possible. Per the exit policies for the Big East, the conference Notre Dame houses the rest of its sports, the Fighting Irish wouldn't be eligible to begin competition in the ACC until 2015. If a $5 million buyout is paid to the Big East before that time, though, Notre Dame can make the switch at any time.

Many believe the buyout could be paid before next school year.

FSU keeps partnerships with Clemson and Miami. The Hurricanes will use FSU and Virginia Tech as their primary partners. Two meetings per season -- one at home and one away -- with the teams in those partnerships will be guaranteed. The rest of the 14 non-conference games -- the ACC announced earlier this year it will be moving next year from a 16-game conference schedule to 18 games -- will feature home and away games with two rotating opponents, and five home-only games and and five road-only games. The current primary crossover partners will remain consistent with Syracuse and Pitt becoming primary crossover partners with each other.

Atlantic Division
Boston College Eagles
Clemson Tigers
Florida St. Seminoles
Maryland Terrapins
N.C. State Wolfpack
Syracuse Orange
Wake Forest Demon Deacons

Coastal Division
Duke Blue Devils
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Miami Hurricanes
North Carolina Tar Heels
Pittsburgh Panthers
Virginia Cavaliers
Virginia Tech Hokies

New ACC schedule format partners for BC, Notre Dame, and Syracuse


Men's and Women's Basketball
The ACC will continue to play an 18-game conference schedule with the addition of Notre Dame. The scheduling model will be based on a two-partner format.

Each year, teams will play every league opponent at least once with the two partners playing home and away annually. In addition to the four annual games against partners, the remaining 14 conference games will feature home and away games with two rotating opponents and five home-only games and five road-only games.

The two-primary-partner format preserves competitive balance and builds upon traditional rivalries while providing the opportunity to create new ones.

Boston College - Notre Dame and Syracuse
Clemson - Florida State and Georgia Tech
Duke - North Carolina and Wake Forest
Florida State - Clemson and Miami
Georgia Tech - Clemson and Notre Dame
Maryland - Pitt and Virginia
Miami - Florida State and Virginia Tech
North Carolina - Duke and NC State
NC State - North Carolina and Wake Forest
Notre Dame - Boston College and Georgia Tech
Pitt - Maryland and Syracuse
Syracuse - Boston College and Pitt
Virginia - Maryland and Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech - Miami and Virginia
Wake Forest - Duke and NC State

Following the regular season, the ACC Tournament format will continue to feature all league members. The Tournament will begin with three games on Wednesday, followed by four games on Thursday and Friday, two semifinals on Saturday and the championship game on Sunday. The top four seeds will continue to receive byes into Friday's quarterfinal round.


In the annual ACC/B1G Challenge, the decision was made to include the 12 teams with the best RPI from the previous year.


The ACC Baseball Tournament returns to the Durham Bulls Athletic Park in Durham, N.C., for the third time in five seasons. In 2009 and 2011 The 2013 tournament will be held May 22-26. The conference announced a change that will feature only 10 teams in a six-day, double-elimination tournament at season's end. Two single-elimination games on Saturday and the championship game on Sunday will round out that tournament.


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