The ACC announced on Tuesday a new scheduling format, set to commence in 2023. The new format would give each team three annual opponents, and then play the remaining ten teams twice in a four year period. The conference has referred to this new scheduling as the 3-5-5 format. In addition, conference divisions are officially out the window (RIP ACC Coastal).
In 2023, the ACC will adopt a 3-5-5 football scheduling model and all 14 schools will compete in one division.
Teams will play 3 primary opponents annually + face the other 10 teams twice during the 4-year cycle, once at home and once on the road.
📰: https://t.co/7cvsuH48j3 pic.twitter.com/ne5TjwtfYd
— ACC Football (@ACCFootball) June 28, 2022
As for Syracuse, this new format will lock in Boston College, Florida State, and Pittsburgh as annual, or primary, opponents. Under this new format, Syracuse’s rivalries with both Boston College and Pittsburgh will flourish, while their recent struggles with Florida State may be magnified. In the all-time series, Syracuse is 33-32 against Boston College, but have not fared well against the other two, struggling to a 31-42-3 record against Pittsburgh and a brutal 2-11 record against Florida State.
In a statement released on the ACC website, Conference Commissioner Jim Phillips lauded the future move, saying “The future ACC football scheduling model provides significant enhancements for our schools and conference, with the most important being our student-athletes having the opportunity to play every school both home and away over a four-year period. We appreciate the thoughtful discussions within our membership, including the head football coaches and athletic directors. In the end, it was clear this model is in the best interest of our student-athletes, programs and fans, at this time.”
Syracuse will continue to try and dig themselves out of the ACC cellar, something that seems to be even harder under this format. Jason Kirk, college football connoisseur, mentioned that under the new format, Syracuse ranks fourth in schedule difficulty.
Schedule difficulty, based on the last 20 years of SRS ratings:
1. GT, 2. FSU, 3. Miami, 4. Cuse, 5. Clemson, 6. UVA, 7. Louisville, 8. NCSt, 9. BC, 10. Pitt, 11. Wake, 12. VT, 13. Duke, 14. UNC https://t.co/NEIXD9c1Vu
— Jason Kirk (buy my novel) (@JasonKirk_fyi) June 28, 2022
Buckle up Syracuse fans, things are not going to get any easier from here.
1 Comment
Go ‘Cuse!