Charlotte, NC - The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) has announced its future football schedule model for the next seven years, spanning from 2024 to 2030. This schedule model comes in light of the addition of three new member institutions to the ACC - the University of California (Cal), Southern Methodist University (SMU), and Stanford University, set to join next summer. The announcement was made during the ACC PM: Football Schedule Model Release, aired on ACC Network.

The revamped schedule will see the continuation of a format with no divisions and will feature a total of 17 schools. Moreover, the number of annual conference matchups will increase from 56 to 68, providing additional opportunities for teams to compete within the conference. The top two teams based on conference winning percentage will vie for the ACC Football Championship at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, on the first Saturday in December.

ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips, Ph.D., expressed his excitement regarding the conference's expansion, stating, "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. 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."

Under the approved format, each member institution will play eight conference games per season. Over the next seven years, all 17 teams will face each other at least twice - once at home and once on the road. The conference sought to protect 16 annual matchups, ensuring the continuation of rivalries and longstanding traditions. These protected matchups include 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.

The new scheduling model also guarantees that the current 14 conference teams will travel to California three times over the seven-year span. Additionally, it ensures that no team will make consecutive trips to the West Coast.

The specific game dates for the 2024 ACC Football schedule, along with all matchups, will be revealed during ACC Network's ACC Huddle: 2024 Schedule Reveal on January 31, 2024, at 9 p.m.

This innovative and carefully crafted football schedule model by the ACC aims to provide a competitive and exciting experience for student-athletes, while maintaining the spirit of longstanding rivalries among member institutions. As the ACC looks forward to the future, anticipation and enthusiasm are mounting among teams, alumni, and fans alike.