The ACC's basketball scheduling model is failing the sport's most passionate fans

Let's call a spade a spade: the Atlantic Coast Conference's new college basketball scheduling model stinks.

When the conference added the three West Coast teams (which, still doesn't make any sense logicstically), the ACC had to turn to a new scheduling model to accomodate the number of teams competing.

However, this change has ruined some traditional rivalries that fans love to see, including the one between two in-state foes.

ACC's scheduling model ruins the UNC-NC State rivalry

Last season, UNC and NC State only met once, a matchup that occurred in Raleigh.

While the Wolfpack didn't make the trip to Chapel Hill last year, they will this year. Unfortunately, it will be the first time the two teams don't play in Raleigh in quite some time, dating back 80 years.

Yes, this will be the first time since the 1946-1947 season that the Tar Heels and Wolfpack will not play in Raleigh.

Make it make sense!

While the fact of these two programs meeting only once a season is annoying enough, let's think a bit into the future for something that is eventually coming down the road.

Under the ACC's current scheduling model, teams no longer play every conference opponent each season. Last year, North Carolina didn't face Boston College, and this season the Tar Heels won't meet Clemson during the 2026-2027 regular season.

Eventually, it's going to come to a point where NC State falls off the schedule, which would be catastrophic for the conference in terms of building up rivalries.

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The addition of the three West Coast teams didn't make sense to begin with, and the new scheduling model for college basketball just adds to the element of confusion. While the goal is to properly schedule the teams that the conference has under its wing, the issue is that it's taking away from the matchups that the fan bases love to see.

There's no two ways about it: UNC and NC State should be playing twice a year every single season. This failure might just be the biggest disservice that this new format serves, robbing fans of the opportunity to see these in-state foes go at it during their traditional home-and-home series.

At this point, can we schedule a non-conference game between the two programs that takes place at the opposite location of the scheduled game, or maybe even a neutral site game if that is an option.

Regardless, the ACC needs to address this blunder, immediately.

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