CHARLOTTE – The Atlantic Coast Conference announced today its future football schedule model for the next seven years, 2024 through 2030. With the addition of the ACC’s three new member institutions next summer – University of California (Cal), Southern Methodist University (SMU) and Stanford University – the new football scheduling model will go into effect beginning with the 2024 season. After more than a month of significant discussions, the format has been adopted by the league’s athletic directors.

The 2023-24 Football Schedule Model was revealed live on ACC PM: Football Schedule Model Release at 6 p.m. ET on ACC Network.

The new schedule will continue with no divisions, feature 17 schools and will increase the number of annual conference matchups from 56 to 68. The top two teams based on conference winning percentage will compete in the ACC Football Championship Game on the first Saturday in December at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.

“We are extremely excited to welcome Cal, SMU and Stanford to the ACC and look forward to having them compete beginning in the fall of 2024,” said ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips, Ph.D. “Throughout the entire scheduling model process, the membership was incredibly thoughtful and purposeful in building a creative, flexible and aggressive conference scheduling model while keeping the student-athlete experience at the forefront. The excitement and anticipation for our teams, alumni and fans will undoubtedly build as we look ahead to the future of this incredible conference.”

The approved format will continue to have each member institution play eight conference games per season, with all 17 teams playing each other at least twice over the next seven seasons – once at home and once on the road. The current 14 conference teams will play a total of three times each in California over the seven years and none will travel west to California in back-to-back seasons.

The new scheduling model protects 16 annual matchups. Of the 16 matchups, 11 are retained from the current 3-5-5 schedule model, two are restored rivalries from the divisional format in Miami-Virginia Tech and NC State-Wake Forest and the three new schools fill the remaining three. The annual protected matchups are Boston College-Syracuse, Boston College-Pitt, Syracuse-Pitt, North Carolina-Virginia, North Carolina-Duke, North Carolina-NC State, NC State-Wake Forest, NC State-Duke, Duke-Wake Forest, Virginia Tech-Virginia, Florida State-Clemson, Miami-Florida State, Miami-Virginia Tech, Stanford-Cal, Stanford-SMU, and Cal-SMU.

North Carolina will have three permanent partners in Duke, NC State and Virginia, so the Tar Heels will play each team every season rotating home and away. But, they won’t play the others the same number of times.

Here is the breakdown: Wake Forest and Clemson four times; Florida State, Miami, Virginia Tech, Stanford, and Cal three times; and Boston College, Louisville, Georgia Tech, Pittsburgh, SMU, and Syracuse twice each.

A few more notes:

*UNC does not play at Louisville until 2029, meaning the Tar Heels will have gone the first 16 years of Louisville’s existence as a member of the ACC before playing an actual conference road game at the Cardinals.

*With just two meetings versus Louisville through 2030, that means UNC and Louisville will have met just three times as conference members in the first 16 years of Louisville’s membership in the ACC.

*UNC won’t play SMU until 2028, when the Heels visit Dallas. SMU’s first trip to Chapel Hill will be in 2030.

*Former Coastal Division foes Pittsburgh and Georgia Tech visit Kenan Stadium next season and not again in the duration of this model.

*Carolina plays both California teams in 2025, hosting Stanford and traveling to Cal.

*UNC’s other trips out west are in 2027 at Stanford and 2030 again at Cal.

2024

Home: Georgia Tech; NC State; Pitt; Wake Forest

Away: Boston College; Duke; FSU; UVA

2025

Home: Clemson; Duke; Stanford; UVA

Away: Cal; NC State; Syracuse; Wake Forest

2026

Home: Louisville; Miami; NC State; Syracuse

Away: Clemson; Duke; Pitt; UVA

2027

Home: Duke; FSU; UVA; Virginia Tech

Away: Georgia Tech; NC State; Stanford; Wake Forest

2028

Home: Boston College; NC State; Stanford; Wake Forest

Away: Duke; FSU; SMU; UVA

2029

Home: Cal; Clemson; Duke; UVA

Away: Louisville; Miami; NC State; Virginia Tech

2030

Home: Miami; NC State; Virginia Tech; SMU

Away: Cal; Clemson; Duke; UVA