The 2026 ACC Football schedule was released a few days ago. As we do each year, we’ve already told what we like, and what we don’t like, which is what we have below.
9+ Straight Games
Too many ACC teams go 9 or more straight weeks without a BYE week. Cal and Pitt go 9 weeks before a BYE. Duke and Georgia Tech go 9 weeks to finish the season without a BYE. Syracuse and UNC go 10 weeks to end the season without a BYE. That’s more than 2 months without a BYE weeks for those teams. That’s brutal, and the ACC should have been able to balance this better.
Clemson vs LSU – September 5, 2026
I did say this Clemson-LSU game would get a quality TV spot, but the reality is I don’t like this game at all for Clemson. When Clemson was good, they ate games like this up. It proved Clemson was among the best in the country. Now it shows how far Clemson has fallen. They open the season with a new QB, at LSU in Lane Kiffin’s first game. If Clemson wins, great, but this has getting the season off to a bad start written all over it. Clemson never recovered from last year’s loss to LSU.
Miami not playing a Saturday game until September 26, 2026
With the SEC and Big 10 dominating Saturday, the ACC has to be creative about when its teams can get exposure. That means playing games on Thursdays and Fridays. That’s fine, but Miami playing the first month of the season without a game on Saturday seems a bit much.
Syracuse vs Notre Dame – November 28, 2026
The Final Week of the season should be about rivalry games. Why are Syracuse and Notre Dame playing the final week of the season? Syracuse vs BC is the week before. That’s a strange time slot for that game.
ACC Teams playing 11 P4 games
6 Teams in College Football are playing 11 P4 teams. 3 of them, Boston College, Louisville, and Georgia Tech, are in the ACC. There is 1 total from the Big 10 and SEC. That certainly seems like overkill for those three schools, and gives them basically no break in opponent during the season
