How ACC football schedule change will affect Syracuse's future opponents

The ACC is replicating the Big Ten, SEC, and Big 12 with a nine game slate, which will also require each of the 17 conference members to annually play 10 Power 4 games.

Aug 30, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Syracuse Orange defensive lineman David Reese (8) celebrates after a fumble recovery against the Tennessee Volunteers in the first quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

It was inevitable that the ACC would conform to the rest of the P4 world of scheduling. Upping from eight to nine the number of conference games, plus the requisite to play more P4 schools out of conference helps in power rankings, only if you win those games.

An odd number of ACC teams makes for some tricky math in future schedules

The schedule changes, approved after a vote of athletic directors in Charlotte on Monday, will take place the season after next, because there will be a lot of shuffling going on before then.

Several league teams have P4 non-conference games already scheduled for 2026, some at neutral sites, including Syracuse with a home game against Notre Dame.

Due to there being 16 potential opponents for each ACC team to fit in nine games, it means that 15 teams will play nine games, but one team each year can only play eight games, in which case they would have to schedule two P4 OOC games to get to 10.

"We have been incredibly intentional throughout our discussions on ACC football and our conference schedule," Commissioner Jim Phillips said in the league's release. Translated, the league has to get stronger top-to-bottom, because there are only so many seats at the CFP table even if the field expands to 16.

It will also certainly be interesting down the road to see which team gets the first 8-and-2 model, predicated on existing contracts, and the longtime end-of-season rivalry games which have been around longer than the current 17 team, coast-to-coast version of the ACC conference.

How might Syracuse's future schedules be affected?

As mentioned, Syracuse has P4 Notre Dame next season, and for the first year of this change in 2027, SU has a road game against Penn State to take care of the P4 opponent. The 'Cuse also has a road game at Connecticut scheduled, and would need one game added overall to get to 12.

With details still to be determined, in a 9-and-1 model, Syracuse could still play Boston College and Pittsburgh each season alternating home/away, plus seven other teams, alternating yearly, but options are on the table.

Other specifics such as whether team's will still play an FCS opponent, or if those two other annual OOC games will strictly be against other FBS schools from the Group of Six, have to be addressed for both equality, and ensuring strength of schedule to keep up within striking distance of the SEC and Big Ten.

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