The ACC’s Spring meetings are this week, and several important topics will be discussed including Division, the ACC Network, and 8 or 9 game conference schedule. Well it’s just about official on one of these, the ACC is going to stay at 8 conference games. I am one person pleased to see this. I’ve been a proponent of the 8 game conference schedule for the ACC for nearly a year.
My reasoning is as true now as it was then. The ACC isn’t ready for a 9 game conference game schedule. Yes, certainly some ACC members will not play each other for several years, and that’s a problem. I can understand the disappointment and incrustation in some circles. At the end of the day the ACC must do what’s best for the ACC, and at the moment that is not to play more conference games.
It gives the ACC the best opportunity to get into the 4 team playoffs and access bowls, and provides flexibility of scheduling. As the SEC has smartly done, you do this by winning more games not scheduling more conference games. Unless proven otherwise you want to the path of least resistance. That doesn’t mean you don’t want to schedule some tougher OOC games from time to time. That obviously builds credibility.
ACC Football Powers like Clemson and FSU already have worthy year end games with SEC rivals, plus they have shown the willingness to schedule strong OOC games. Clemson has played Georgia, Auburn and Alabama in recent years. The Seminoles have played Oklahoma, scheduled a series 2012-2013 with West Virginia before WVU backed out and have an upcoming game with Oklahoma St.
With the addition of Notre Dame rotating through the ACC teams once every 3 years, by averaging 5 games a year with ACC opponents, the ACC already has a built in OOC scheduling agreement.
As I said, losing certain conference matchups for long periods of time is a drawback. There is no question, but the best opportunity for the ACC to get more bowl eligible teams and more wins is through the 8+1 setup.
A couple of other notes on this…
It’s clear now the ACC is listening to its football powers. Florida State and Clemson along with Duke as recently as 3 weeks ago appeared to be in minority pushing the 8 game format. Certainly Monday, they swayed some votes. In addition, while probably not on the priority list, but I’m betting somewhere in the back of John Swofford’s mind Notre Dame is literally just 3 games short of being a full ACC member.
Don’t expect anything on that for a number of years, just remember that 8 conference games does make it easier for the Irish to one day join as a full member should that discussion ever occur.
Now about dropping those divisions, which I’d like to see too.
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