Clemson, ACC to play modified 2020 schedule during coronavirus pandemic
The Atlantic Coast Conference’s much-anticipated decision on the 2020 football season is in.
Clemson and other members of the ACC will play a conference-only schedule, with one exception, this season, it was announced Wednesday. The change was made as the country continues to try and slow the spread of COVID-19.
Clemson will play 10 ACC games and potentially its rivalry game against South Carolina under the new format. The Tigers will face Boston College, Miami, Pitt, Syracuse and Virginia at home. The Tigers go on the road to face Florida State, Georgia Tech, Notre Dame, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest.
“We appreciate the leadership of our ACC Board of Directors today on their direction forward. This model gives the ACC the best chance to provide a safe environment for our coaches and student-athletes, while having a competitive season,” Clemson AD Dan Radakovich said in a statement. “There are still many more details to work out, and we must continue to be diligent in our testing and safety protocols.”
No dates have been set yet. In the revised schedule, Clemson added games against Miami, Pitt and Virginia Tech and lost matchups with Louisville and NC State.
The 11 games will be played over at least 13 weeks with each team having two open dates. The Tigers’ games against Akron and The Citadel, which were scheduled for this year, will not take place.
“The ACC Board of Directors announced that if public health guidance allows, all seven ACC sponsored fall sports will begin competition during the week of Sept. 7-12,” the league said in an email.
A full week-by-week schedule for ACC teams will be released by the conference at a later date.
Clemson’s game against South Carolina is preserved in the new model. No date was set for that, either. That game is no guarantee, however. According to Sports Illustrated, a majority of Southeastern Conference athletic directors approved the idea of an SEC-only, 10-game schedule on Wednesday. The schedule must be ratified by league presidents, who are expected to meet virtually Thursday.
“All non-conference game opponents, selected by the respective school, must be played in the home state of the ACC institution, and all non-conference opponents must meet the medical protocol requirements as agreed upon by the ACC,” the league said.
The league also said Notre Dame will play a 10-game conference schedule and be eligible to compete in the 2020 ACC Football Championship Game. The ACC Football Championship Game will be played on either Dec. 12 or 19 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina and will feature the top two teams based upon highest conference-game winning percentage. There will be only one division in the conference this year.
The league also said all television revenue for the 2020 season, including Notre Dame’s home games broadcast by NBC, will be shared equally by the 15 schools.
The ACC’s decision came after the Big 10 and PAC 12 announced earlier this month that they will play conference-only schedules in 2020 during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
“Today’s decision was made after months of thoughtful planning by numerous individuals throughout the conference,” said ACC Commissioner John Swofford. “The Board’s decision presents a path, if public health guidance allows, to move forward with competition. Our institutions are committed to taking the necessary measures to facilitate the return in a safe and responsible manner. We recognize that we may need to be nimble and make adjustments in the future. We will be as prepared as possible should that need arise.”
Power 5 leagues are limiting out-of-conference games in order to have regulated testing within the conference and so that games against teams who are not testing as regularly for COVID-19 will not take place, according to a source.
Clemson has won five consecutive ACC championships and has reached the College Football Playoff five consecutive seasons. The Tigers have won a pair of national titles in the past four years, beating Alabama in 2016 and again in 2018 in the national championship games.
The Tigers are projected by many to reach the College Football Playoff again in 2020, led by Heisman favorite and likely No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL draft Trevor Lawrence.
Lawrence and Travis Etienne should be a lethal combination for opposing defenses to stop after Etienne opted to pass on the NFL draft and return to school for his senior season.
According to the ACC, fall Olympic sports competition can begin Sept. 10.
“Team sports will play a conference schedule that meets the NCAA minimum amount of games: field hockey (6), women’s soccer (6), men’s soccer (6) and volleyball (10),” the league said. “Schools will continue to schedule regular season cross country competitions at their discretion. Any additional games against conference opponents or non-conference opponents are at the respective school’s discretion and all opponents must meet the ACC’s medical standards.”
This story was originally published July 29, 2020 at 4:42 PM.
