Well that was fast.
Swofford announces recommendation to play 8 #ACC games + 1 vs group of 5 or ND, starting in '17. Sending to business session for approval
— ACC Football (@theACCfootball) May 12, 2014
If the measure passes, the ACC and SEC will have near identical schedule models going forward. Two weeks ago, the SEC announced the format for future football scheduling:
Each SEC team will continue to play eight conference football games per season, to include six games against division opponents and two games against non-division opponents. One of the non-division opponents will be a permanent annual opponent and the other non-division opponent will rotate each year.
In addition, at least one opponent from the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten or Pac-12 must be scheduled by each SEC school on an annual basis beginning in 2016, with assistance from the conference office.
The ACC's strength of schedule component is largely a symbolic one as most programs already play at least one Big 5 conference opponent every year (though it will force programs like N.C. State to schedule at least one non-body bag a year).
Since the NCAA moved to a 12-game schedule in 2006, Boston College has failed to schedule at least one power conference program in non-conference play once -- in 2006 (Central Michigan, BYU, Maine and Buffalo). That year, there was a two-year break in the annual Boston College-Notre Dame series and non-conference scheduling obligations got a bit out of whack following the change of conference affiliation. The years since 2006:
2007: Notre Dame
2008: Notre Dame
2009: Notre Dame
2010: Notre Dame
2011: Northwestern
2012: Northwestern, Notre Dame
2013: USC
Going forward, Boston College has non-conference dates scheduled with USC (2014), Notre Dame at Fenway Park (2015), Notre Dame (2017) and Ohio State (2023-24). So Brad Bates and the program have a bit of work to do for the 2018-2022 seasons in which BC won't face the Irish.
Moving forward, the next step is hopefully the elimination of division play and a more flexible scheduling model that will see non-crossover programs visit campus more than at a once-in-12-years clip.