WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Bronco Mendenhall and Dabo Swinney won't have to make a return trip to Tallahassee after all.
The Atlantic Coast Conference announced Tuesday that Florida State's previously postponed games against Clemson and Virginia won't be made up.
Instead, the Seminoles will host Duke on Dec. 12 and conclude their regular season at Wake Forest on Dec. 19.
The announcement came just one day after Virginia's coach said he had "no interest in going back to Florida State." The Cavaliers traveled to Tallahassee only to learn that their Nov. 28 game had been postponed because of Florida State's coronavirus concerns.
A similar fate befell Clemson, which had traveled to Tallahassee for a Nov. 19 game at Florida State that was called off just hours before the scheduled kickoff.
Swinney voiced his displeasure with the decision to postpone the game, saying the Seminoles "forfeited" when they elected not to play, even though the Tigers had traveled with a player who tested positive for COVID-19.
Clemson's coach went on to say that he didn't believe the Tigers should have to make up the game unless Florida State paid for the travel or played in South Carolina instead.
The ACC said in a statement that its athletic directors "have voted to preserve the integrity" of the ACC Championship game by evaluating each of the three teams in contention based on a nine-game conference schedule.
"As a result, Clemson and Notre Dame will conclude the regular season this weekend," the ACC said.
That will allow No. 2 Notre Dame and No. 4 Clemson to have an extra week to prepare before the ACC title game on Dec. 19.
Based on the current ACC standings, the Fighting Irish have secured a berth in the ACC title game.
Wake Forest, which was scheduled to play Notre Dame on Dec. 12, will instead play at Louisville.
If Clemson, Miami or Notre Dame don't play this weekend, the ACC could opt to reschedule games on Dec. 12 as needed.
