ACC moving to nine conference games. What it means for Clemson football
The ACC is moving to a nine-game football conference schedule.
Although it could raise the overall profile of the league, it could put a number of marquee Clemson football non-conference games on the chopping block — or put the Tigers in a spot where they’re playing more tough games than others.
That’s why Clemson athletic director Graham Neff spoke out against the proposal to ESPN and why Clemson was a “no” vote headed into Monday’s league meeting on the issue in Charlotte, a source familiar with the situation told The State.
Commissioner Jim Phillips announced late Monday that the league’s 17 athletic directors “overwhelmingly supported” a move to a regular-season schedule featuring nine conference games (up from eight) and at least one additional game against another Power 4 opponent in non-conference play.
The nine-game conference schedule will be “fully implemented” for the 2027 season, the News & Observer reported. Some teams will play nine-game ACC schedules starting next year, but the ACC will be lenient and allow multiple teams to play eight-game ACC schedules to honor prior commitments, per the N&O.
Clemson is in the latter category, as the Tigers’ 2026 non-conference schedule has been locked in for years. Clemson will open at LSU (the return game in a home-and-home that started this year) and also play Georgia Southern, FCS Charleston Southern and rival South Carolina at home. Those games shouldn’t change.
The move is not official but close to it. It now must be approved by ACC faculty athletic representatives (the presidents and chancellors of each school), but that’s expected to be a formality since a majority of schools already support it.
The Tigers’ annual rivalry game against South Carolina, their in-state SEC rival, is safe. Both schools remain committed to playing that game annually. The SEC is moving to a nine-game conference schedule in 2026, it announced this year.
“There will be additional discussions and more details to be determined, but today’s decision showcases the commitment and leadership of our ADs in balancing what is best for strengthening the conference and their respective programs,” Phillips said.
How 9 ACC games will impact Clemson football
But Clemson will have to make some decisions on other games.
For instance, the Tigers recently committed to a unique 12-year scheduling agreement with Notre Dame in which the schools will play a rotating home-and-home from 2027-38. That game, plus the USC game and nine ACC games, would put Clemson at 11 Power 4 games (out of a possible 12 regular-season games) annually.
Is Clemson willing to do that when other ACC schools might only play 10 power conference games? And when others might only play nine? Although all four P4 leagues (the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC) will have nine-game conference schedules by 2027, only the ACC and SEC require 10 games vs. P4 teams.
Coach Dabo Swinney has thoughts on that.
“Yeah, I think that’s stupid,” Swinney said Monday. “I think that’s a problem. I mean, somewhere along the line, you’ve gotta have some common sense.”
Speaking on his radio show, Swinney said it’s “not very advantageous for your program” if a school like Clemson is playing as many as 11 power conference games annually while “other people” are playing only nine.
That sort of complaint would apply more to Big Ten and Big 12 schools. Both of those leagues have nine-game conference schedules but no requirements for additional P4 games. Schools like Indiana have loaded up on weak opponents.
“Some of these teams are canceling games because of that very reason, because their conference is going to nine,” Swinney said. “They don’t want to play 11, or they don’t even want to play 10. They want to play nine and then try to schedule three wins.”
Based on Swinney’s comments, Clemson could have some interesting decisions to make regarding its future football schedules. Some of them include three non-conference games against power opponents following the Notre Dame deal.
And every single schedule through 2038 includes at least two non-conference games against P4 teams (South Carolina and Notre Dame).
Clemson’s future football schedules
- 2026: at LSU, Georgia Southern, Charleston Southern, South Carolina
- 2027: Notre Dame, Wofford, at South Carolina
- 2028: Troy, The Citadel, at Notre Dame, South Carolina
- 2029: East Carolina, Georgia, Furman, Notre Dame, at South Carolina
- 2030: at Georgia, at Notre Dame, South Carolina
- 2031: Notre Dame, at South Carolina
- 2032: at Georgia, at Notre Dame, South Carolina
- 2033: Georgia, Notre Dame, at South Carolina
- 2034: at Notre Dame, South Carolina
- 2035: Oklahoma, Notre Dame, at South Carolina
- 2036: at Oklahoma, at Notre Dame, South Carolina
- 2037: Notre Dame, at South Carolina
- 2038: at Notre Dame, South Carolina
This story was originally published September 22, 2025 at 5:21 PM.
