The ACC plans to return to the normal divisional format of eight conferences, with Notre Dame as an independent, when the 2021 football season begins in September, the league announced on Thursday.
In its release, the league noted that the return to play and the published schedule depend on the guidelines of COVID-19. Last season, the ACC made changes to his schedule for playing during the coronavirus pandemic, including Notre Dame as a full-time conference member and playing 10 league games.
With an expected return to a more normal season, Notre Dame returns to its five-game programming partnership and the league decided to play the 2021 season as originally planned. As a result, there are several repetitive games on the site from 2019 and 2020.
Clemson, who is again expected to be the overwhelming favorite to win the ACC, opens the season against Georgia on Sept. 4 in Charlotte, North Carolina, in an expected canopy non-conference game with implications for the college football playoffs.
Although the ACC played a game without conferences in 2020, the SEC did not, and the various clashes between the SEC and ACC throughout the schedule are sure to be welcome. In addition to the four traditional ACC and SEC rivalry games to close out the regular season, the schedule also includes Miami vs. Alabama in Atlanta on Sept. 4 and Louisville vs. Ole Miss in Atlanta on Labor Day night, Sept. 6. Pitt plays Tennessee in Week 2.
The Tigers open the ACC schedule against Georgia Tech on Sept. 18 and have a Friday night game in Syracuse on Oct. 15. His game against Florida State, which was canceled in 2020 hours before the start, is scheduled for Oct. 30. Clemson.
Notre Dame opens the season in the state of Florida on Sunday, September 5th. The Irish will also play Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Virginia and Virginia Tech in 2021. The match against the Tar Heels could mean a new showdown between teams with hopes of college football playoffs. .
The season opens with five days of ACC football, starting with a Thursday night game between NC State and USF. The biggest conference game of the opening weekend is North Carolina at Virginia Tech, two teams hoping to compete for the Coast Division title, which will be played on Sept. 2 or 3.
North Carolina and Wake Forest will play a non-conference game again on Nov. 6, in an agreement made a few years ago so the two teams could play more often.
The winners of the Atlantic and Coastal Division will play the ACC Championship Game in Charlotte on December 4th.