We now know that the Syracuse Orange will be joining BC in the ACC's Atlantic Division, there will be no changes to cross-divisional permanent rivals and that the conference will move to a nine-game football schedule ... whenever Syracuse and Pitt extricate themselves from the flaming wreckage of the Big East.
So, let's pencil in what BC's future football schedule will start to look like starting in 2013.
Obviously we have to make some fundamental assumptions here. The first is that the existing home-road ACC schedule won't change from the 2005-2012 model (specifically with respect to BC's Atlantic Division matchups) and that our non-conference schedule stays as-is.
Slotting Syracuse into the existing Atlantic Division schedule. Currently BC, Clemson and Wake Forest play three Atlantic Division home games in odd numbered years, and just two in even numbered years. Flip that for Florida State, Maryland and N.C. State.
Odd-year ACC Atlantic home games
Boston College -- Florida State, N.C. State, Wake Forest
Clemson -- Boston College, Florida State, Wake Forest
Wake Forest -- Florida State, Maryland, N.C. State
Even-year ACC Atlantic home games
Florida State -- Boston College, Clemson, Wake Forest
Maryland -- Florida State, Wake Forest, N.C. State
N.C. State -- Boston College, Florida State, Wake Forest
The ACC could easily slot Syracuse into this schedule, giving the Orange home games against BC, Clemson and Wake Forest in odd-years and against Florida State, Maryland and N.C. State in even numbered years. Unfortunately, this is the reverse order of BC and Syracuse's remaining nine-game non-conference series, but I'm sure if the Orange do join in 2013, the conference would just switch the order of home games.
This gives every Atlantic Division team three home games and three road games within the Division.
From the Coastal, in order to avoid a rather sizable gap in years between facing Coastal Division opponents, I've assumed that BC's away-home in consecutive years rotation will continue. After plugging in Pitt, that leaves BC with the following non-Virginia Tech Coastal Division opponents:
2012 -- Miami (home) and Georgia Tech (away)
2013 -- Georgia Tech (home) and North Carolina (away)
2014 -- North Carolina (home) and Virginia (away)
2015 -- Virginia (home) and Pittsburgh (away)
2016 -- Pittsburgh (home) and Duke (away)
2017 -- Duke (home) and Miami (away)
Let's get to it.
2013*
Non-Conference (3): @ USC, Army, Stony Brook
ACC Home (4): Wake Forest, N.C. State, Florida State, Georgia Tech
ACC Away (5): @ Syracuse, @ Maryland, @ Clemson, @ North Carolina, @ Virginia Tech
Gene's decision to swap home dates with Army starts to make more sense now if he expects both Syracuse and Pitt will join the ACC a year earlier than expected. That gives the Eagles a sixth home game and a home attendance boost for when (hopefully) the program has improved from last year's 4-8 low water mark.
2014
Non-Conference (3): USC, vs. Army (Yankee Stadium), Rhode Island
ACC Home (5): Syracuse, Maryland, Clemson, Virginia Tech, North Carolina
ACC Road (4): @ Wake Forest, @ N.C. State, @ Florida State, @ Virginia
Since Rhode Island is moving down to the NEC, BC may have to replace the Rams with another local I-AA opponent. The Eagles end up with a solid home schedule that includes USC, Syracuse, Clemson, Virginia Tech and North Carolina and a neutral site game at Yankee Stadium against Army.
2015
Non-Conference (3): Notre Dame, Army, @ Buffalo (location TBD)
ACC Home (4): Wake Forest, N.C. State, Florida State, Virginia
ACC Road (5): @ Syracuse, @ Maryland, @ Clemson, @ Virginia Tech, @ Pittsburgh
Thankfully, Notre Dame is a home game in 2015 otherwise this has the makings of a disastrous home schedule. BC has typically struggled in terms of home attendance when they host Wake Forest and N.C. State in odd-numbered years. Add in Virginia and Army and it could get ugly.
2016
Non-Conference (3): @ Notre Dame, Buffalo, I-AA (opponent TBD)
ACC Home (5): Syracuse, Maryland, Clemson, Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh
ACC Road (4): @ Wake Forest, @ N.C. State, @ Florida State, @ Duke
After plugging in Pittsburgh to the Coastal Division opponent rotation, the Eagles finally host the Panthers in 2016. BC gets a pretty decent home schedule this year with Syracuse, Clemson, Virginia Tech and Pittsburgh all on the home sched. Also one of those weird years like in 2008 where the Eagles will make three separate trips to North Carolina to face Wake, N.C. State and Duke.
2017
Non-Conference (3): TBD, TBD, I-AA
ACC Home (4): Wake Forest, N.C. State, Florida State, Duke
ACC Road (5): @ Syracuse, @ Maryland, @ Clemson, @ Virginia Tech, @ Miami
2017 is the first year where BC doesn't have any non-conference games scheduled. My guess is UMass or another MAC opponent fills one spot and either a BCS AQ team takes this spot (Penn State? Stanford?) or it goes to another non-AQ from the ranks of Conference USA.
2018
Non-Conference (3): @ Notre Dame, TBD, I-AA
ACC Home (5): Syracuse, Maryland, Clemson, Virginia Tech, Miami
ACC Road (4): @ Wake Forest, @ N.C. State, @ Florida State, @ Georgia Tech
BC has another strong home slate that includes Cuse, Clemson, Virginia Tech and Miami, and tough road trips to South Bend, Tallahassee and Atlanta. There's one non-conference spot left in 2018, but don't hold your breath that that slot will go to a BCS AQ program.
* assumes Pitt and Syracuse get out a year early