ACC Announces 2026 Football Opponents Amid Schedule Transition

With the Atlantic Coast Conference’s upcoming transition to a nine-game conference schedule for some of its member schools, the ACC announced on Tuesday each football program’s conference opponents for 2026.

Clemson is one of five ACC programs that will remain on an eight-game conference slate in 2026. Clemson’s slate of opponents is unchanged from what had been announced in 2023, as the Tigers will face Georgia Tech, Miami, North Carolina and Virginia Tech at home and face California, Duke, Florida State and Syracuse on the road. Dates for those contests will be announced at a later date.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – The Atlantic Coast Conference unveiled its 2026 football league opponents for all 17 teams on Tuesday, marking an exciting milestone as the league furthers its transition to a nine-game conference schedule and a minimum of 10 games each year against Power Four opponents.

“Today’s announcement of our 2026 football league opponents is another significant and intentional step forward for ACC Football,” said ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips, Ph.D. “Transitioning to a nine-game conference schedule strengthens our competitive framework, aligns us with the other Power Four conferences and provides greater consistency for our student-athletes, coaches and fans. This phased approach reflects our commitment to competitive equity, scheduling flexibility and delivering a premier football product across all 17 institutions.”

The move to a nine-game league slate was previously announced on September 22, when the athletic directors from all 17 football-playing institutions overwhelmingly supported a regular season schedule that includes nine conference games and a minimum of 10 games each year against Power Four opponents. As specified in the Conference constitution, the model was than formally adopted by the Faculty Athletics Representatives.

Beginning in 2026, the ACC will introduce the new schedule structure through a transitional season designed to balance competitive equity, honor existing non-conference game contracts and account for the league’s unique 17-team footprint. Twelve teams will play a 9+1 schedule (nine ACC games plus at least one Power Four non-conference opponent) while five teams will play an 8+2 schedule (eight ACC games paired with at least two Power Four non-conference matchups).

The ACC Tiebreaker Policy will be updated and announced ahead of the 2026 season.

Starting in 2027,16 teams will play a nine-game ACC schedule annually,with one team each season playing eight league games and scheduling two Power Four opponents outside the conference to accommodate the 10 Power Four games requirement.

Below are key points regarding the transition and scheduling model:

Transition Year (2026)

– Serves as the bridge between the previous eight-game ACC slate and the new nine-game structure.
– Twelve teams will play nine ACC games, while five will play eight ACC games due to contractual obligations and scheduling balance.

Power Four Focus

– Each program must play a minimum of 10 Power Four opponents annually (9 ACC + 1 non-conference Power four or 8 ACC + 2 non-conference Power Four).