UNC Football: ACC adopts new scheduling model for 2023-2026

In UNC football news, the Atlantic Coast Conference has adopted a new scheduling model that will go into effect beginning in 2023. 

On Tuesday, the Atlantic Coast Conference announced that they have adopted a new football scheduling model that will go into effect beginning with the 2023 season.

Over the span that the new model covers, things will look a bit different for the UNC football program as well as the other members of the ACC.

Before we get into specifics regarding the Tar Heels, here’s some important information you need to know regarding the format of the scheduling.

The new model is based on a 3-5-5 structure. This simply means that each team will play three primary opponents each year, and will face the other 10 league teams in the conference twice during the four-year cycle. This schedule format essentially provides each program the opportunity to face all 13 conference opponents home and away at least once during the four-year cycle.

Along with the schedule format, there is also another major change being installed regarding conference divisions. The new schedule will eliminate the Atlantic and Coastal divisions, as the 14 schools will all compete in one single division. The top two teams, based on conference winning percentage, will compete in the Subway ACC Football Championship Game on the first Saturday in December, which will be held at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Now that you know the details, let’s talk more specifically about the Tar Heels.

For starters, North Carolina’s primary opponents will be none other than Duke, NC State, and Virginia. In the below tweets, you can see the Tar Heels’ home and away opponents for the next four seasons.

This is definitely an interesting change being brought to ACC football, as student-athletes who attend a school for four years will compete (both home and away) against every conference foe at least once.

The removal of divisions does open things up a bit as well, as programs won’t be stuck behind some of the conference’s powerhouses in an effort to make the league’s title bout. Now, 14 schools will have the chance to compete for one of the two top overall spots that the conference has to offer.

In an effort to add more competition and experience for the student-athletes, the ACC is hopeful that this model is one that could reap long-term benefits for the conference.

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