2012 ACC Football Schedule Taking Shape, Will Likely Not Include Syracuse, Pittsburgh
by Brian Favat on Jan 18, 2012 12:01 PM EST
in Boston College Football
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PrintAccording to Caulton Tudor of the News & Observer, the ACC's 2012 football schedule, which will be released shortly after National Signing Day (February 1), will not include Syracuse or Pittsburgh. Certainly not a shocking development, and one that was pretty much expected.
"Barring sudden changes, Pittsburgh and Syracuse will not be included in the 2012 ACC football season.
The league plans to announce its entire schedule in early February and although some modifications could be made later, it would be difficult to extensively revise if the Big East released the two new ACC members without notice.
"You never say never, but it's unlikely there would be major changes once it's set," said Mike Finn, the ACC associate commissioner in charge of football communications."
A couple of interesting notes further down in Tudor's latest post:
-- Notre Dame goes on its second annual ACC tour, with games against Miami (Oct. 6 in Chicago), at BC (November 10), vs. Wake Forest (November 17) and home against future conference member Pittsburgh (November 3).
-- The trend of non-league finales will continue this season, with ACC vs. SEC matchups scheduled for the final Saturday of the weekend -- South Carolina at Clemson, Florida at Florida State, Georgia Tech at Georgia and Vanderbilt at Wake Forest.
-- Miami finished the season at home against USF, also on November 24.
The last point is the most interesting and also the most problematic. Unless Miami and USF move that game, that makes five ACC programs playing non-conference games the final weekend of the year, meaning one ACC program will have to finish its season a week early, on November 17.
Frankly, if that happens, it would be a complete and total embarrassment for the conference. It's not like the ACC even has an odd number of teams to work with here.
The ACC has long given its members total flexibility in scheduling non-conference games, then bolting on the conference schedule after the non-conference dates are set. This allows a program like Notre Dame to fill its independent schedule with ACC programs in the middle portion of the schedule, when other BCS AQ conferences like the Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC are busy playing the conference portion of the schedule.
As Tomahawk Nation points out, a simple rule change could dramatically improve the ACC's football scheduling. If the conference restricted scheduling of non-conference games between October 1 and November 15, such scheduling conflicts would be avoided. As it stands, the ACC allows other programs, notably Notre Dame, to dictate the ACC conference schedule. Not the other way around.
This rule change would force ACC programs to schedule 3-4 non-conference games in September, depending on whether the team wished to schedule a season-ending non-league rivalry games on the regular season's final weekend. Very simple and straight-forward, and a rule, if only a de facto one, that works well for other power conferences like the Big Ten.
Let's hope that Miami and USF move that game from November 24 to earlier in the season so we can avoid this sort of scheduling black eye for the conference. Especially considering BC is one of those seven teams that could be S.O.L. and without a conference opponent to play on November 24. ACC football has taken plenty of lumps on the field the last few seasons; hope that the conference avoids an otherwise avoidable, off the field scheduling gaffe.
Given the non-conference dates as they stand today, a look at the possible dates for BC's 2012 football schedule after the jump. Note that due to some of these non-conference dates, the number of possible opponents goes down in early September and late November.
Sep. 1 -- at Georgia Tech / Maine / Miami / Virginia Tech / at Wake Forest / BYE
Sep. 8 -- Maine / Virginia Tech / at Wake Forest / BYE
Sep. 15 -- at Northwestern
Sep. 22 -- Clemson / at Florida State / at Georgia Tech / Maine / Maryland / Miami / at N.C. State / BYE
Sep. 29 -- Clemson / at Georgia Tech / Maine / Maryland / Miami / at N.C. State / Virginia Tech / at Wake Forest / BYE
Oct. 6 -- Army
Oct. 13 -- Clemson / at Florida State / at Georgia Tech / Maine / Maryland / N.C. State / Virginia Tech / at Wake Forest / BYE
Oct. 20 -- Clemson / at Florida State / at Georgia Tech / Maine / Maryland / Miami / N.C. State / Virginia Tech / at Wake Forest / BYE
Oct. 27 -- Clemson / at Florida State / at Georgia Tech / Maine / Maryland / Miami / N.C. State / Virginia Tech / at Wake Forest / BYE
Nov. 3 -- Clemson / at Florida State / at Georgia Tech / Maine / Maryland / Miami / N.C. State / Virginia Tech / at Wake Forest / BYE
Nov. 10 -- Notre Dame
Nov. 17 -- Clemson / at Florida State / at Georgia Tech / Maine / Maryland / Miami / N.C. State / Virginia Tech / BYE
Nov. 24 -- at Georgia Tech / Maine / Maryland / at N.C. State / Virginia Tech / BYE
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My only thoughts concerning cut and dry OCC scheduling
Would be loss of National TV coverage by forcing only conference games during the middle of the year. The likelihood that BC, Wake Forest, and Maryland would be on National TV three weeks in a row at the end of this past year is extremely low without Notre Dame being the opponent. With this being said, I would be in favor of set conference scheduling. It would create a better fan experience for the games.
Don't give up, don't ever give up ~ Jim Valvano
Disagree
The conference should optimize its own TV inventory before catering towards the non-conference portion of the schedule.
Besides, while Wake Forest, Maryland and BC got on national TV when they otherwise wouldn’t have playing Notre Dame this year, two of three of those games were on NBC, not ABC/ESPN, meaning the ACC and ABC/ESPN didn’t have much of an incentive to schedule those games before selecting the dates for marquee conference games.
Editor, BC Interruption
If Notre Dame can work around the scheduling constraints of both the Big Ten (Michigan, Michigan State, Purdue) and the Pac-12 (Stanford, USC), they can also work around the ACC first and foremost acting in its own best interests.
Besides, two of the three games against ACC opponents are novelty, one-off games. ND has no rivalry with Maryland, none with Wake Forest. You are really only talking about BC, and Pittsburgh and Syracuse, when they join the fold.
Editor, BC Interruption
Georgia Tech Septemeber 1
Let’s get a full off-season to prepare for the Triple Option. Just like we were ready for Northwestern’s spread. #sarcasm
Tech in talks with ACC for Labor Day game
If a matchup with Virginia Tech or another Coastal team is in fact a deal breaker, that would leave Clemson, Maryland and Boston College, Tech’s Atlantic Division opponents in 2012. Only a matchup with Clemson would seem to have broad appeal – Maryland and Boston College were a combined 6-18 in 2011 – but the Tigers are scheduled to play Auburn in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game earlier that weekend at the Georgia Dome.
Editor, BC Interruption
When does BC students return to campus?
If I remember right BC didn’t have students yet on campus when football started either this year or past years. I hope they wouldn’t schedule a conference game either away or at home without having students in school. If they aren’t in attendance then its just another late december basketball game atmosphere. Not good for any school
Don't give up, don't ever give up ~ Jim Valvano
My money is on Miami-USF moving ...
And they put BC-Miami back on the schedule at season’s end, even though Atlantic vs. Coastal matchups to end the regular season are ill advised.
Editor, BC Interruption
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