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The ACC plans to return to its normal divisional eight-game conference format – with Notre Dame as an independent – when the 2021 football season kicks off in September, the league said Thursday.
In its publication, the league noted that a return to play and the schedule as published depended on COVID-19 guidelines. Last season, the ACC changed its schedule of play during the coronavirus pandemic, including Notre Dame as a full-time member of the conference and playing 10 league games.
With an expected return to a more normal season, Notre Dame is returning to its five-game programming partnership and the league has decided to play the 2021 season as originally planned. As a result, there are several repeat site games from 2019 and 2020.
Clemson, who is set to be the big favorite again to win the ACC, opens the season against Georgia on September 4 in Charlotte, North Carolina in a highly anticipated non-conference game with implications for the football playoffs. university.
While the ACC played a non-conference game in 2020, the SEC did not, and the various SEC v ACC clashes throughout the calendar will most certainly be welcome. In addition to the traditional four ACC v SEC rivalry games to close out the regular season, the schedule also includes Miami v Alabama in Atlanta on September 4 and Louisville v Ole Miss in Atlanta on Labor Day night on September 6. Pitt plays Tennessee at week 2.
The Tigers open the CCA schedule against Georgia Tech on September 18 and play a Friday night game in Syracuse on October 15. Their game against Florida State – which was called off in 2020 hours before kickoff – is scheduled for October 30 in Clemson.
Notre Dame opens the season in Florida State on Sunday, September 5. The Irish will also face Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Virginia and Virginia Tech in 2021. The game against the Tar Heels could provide another showdown between the teams hoping for the 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 opening weekend conference game is North Carolina at Virginia Tech, two teams set to compete for the Coastal Division title, which will be played on September 2-3.
North Carolina and Wake Forest will play a non-conference game again on November 6, in an arrangement that was made several years ago so that the two teams face each other more often.
The winners of the Atlantic and Coastal divisions will take part in the CCA Championship game in Charlotte on December 4th.
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