UNC Basketball: ACC announces future 20-game schedules

We take a look at the next three years for the UNC Basketball team as the ACC has announced the future 20-game schedules

The Atlantic Coast Conference will officially move to a 20-game schedule beginning with the 2019-20 season, taking away a few non-conference games from teams.

While playing more conference games with the new ACC network seems like the smart idea, programs will lose the chance to play some high-profile non-conference games or will have to cut out some games against the non high-profile teams. Either way, the switch has been made and now the conference is ready to roll out its 20-game matrix schedule.

On Thursday, the ACC released the first three years of the new 20-game matrix schedule with a formula that has teams playing its two primary rivals twice a year both home and away (four games) and four other repeat opponents for home and away games.

The North Carolina Tar Heels’ two primary rivals (We use the word “rival” a little bit differently when discussing NC State in this matter) according to the ACC are Duke and NC State, so they will play twice a year. But after that it changes a bit.

Here’s how the schedule breaks down for the Tar Heels by year.

2019-20

Four repeat opponents (home and away):  Notre Dame, Pitt, Virginia and Wake Forest

Home only: Boston College, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Miami

Away only: Florida State, Louisville, Syracuse, Virginia Tech

2020-21

Four repeat opponents (home and away): Clemson, Florida State, Miami, Syracuse

Home only: Louisville, Notre Dame, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest

Away only: Virginia, Boston College, Georgia Tech, Pitt

2021-22

Four repeat opponents (home and away): Boston College, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Virginia Tech

Home only: Florida State, Pitt, Syracuse, Virginia

Away only: Notre Dame, Clemson, Miami, Wake Forest

After the third year, the full cycle of opponents for teams will be fully complete.

It’s obviously tough to look too far into the future with the 2020-21 and 2021-22 schedules being two years away, but looking at next season, the Tar Heels will have what appears to be a tough schedule especially on the road.

They will play at Florida State, at Louisville, at Syracuse and at Virginia Tech. All of those teams could be in the NCAA Tournament this year. Then mix in the Duke and NC State games as well.

We will have to see how things go with this new 20-game schedule and the start of conference play likely being moved up to late December.

For more on the Tar Heels Basketball program, please check back with Keeping It Heel.