Virginia Tech and James Madison have canceled a 2026 non-conference football game, with the ACC moving to a nine-game conference schedule

Clemson is among 5 ACC teams playing 8 conference games in 2026, while the others play 9. Here's why and its impact on Clemson's future non-ACC games.

While 12 ACC teams will play a nine-game conference schedule, FSU is one of five schools that will play eight conference games next year. Starting in 2027, 16 teams will play a nine-game ACC schedule, with one team each year playing eight games but required to schedule two Power Four opponents to reach the 10 Power 4 game requirement.

The league in September announced plans to have a nine-game slate, aligning with power-conference peers in the Big 12, Big Ten and Southeastern conferences. That came after debates and disagreement about the impact of unbalanced scheduling and access to the 12-team College Football Playoff.

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 ...

Virginia Tech wide receiver Ayden Greene (0) catches a touchdown pass during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Virginia Tech, Friday Oct. 24 ...

TAMPA, Fla. -- Clemson coach Dabo Swinney proclaimed the ACC "the best conference in college football" on Tuesday after his team beat Alabama 35-31 to win the national championship. For this season, anyway, it is hard to argue with that assessment.

The CFP selection committee nearly excluded the ACC from the College Football Playoff. Now, the one ACC program that advanced to the CFP is in the title game.

Anderson isn't the first player from Clemson's 2025 roster to commit to an ACC rival. Offensive lineman Rowan Byrne, who spent his redshirt season with Clemson in 2025 before entering the transfer portal, committed to Bill Belichick and the North Carolina Tar Heels on Saturday.

Miami's improbable CFP run delivered more than a national title shot; it handed the ACC long-awaited momentum at exactly the right time