Hurricanes paired with Boston College, Louisville under new ACC scheduling format

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Miami will play Boston College and Louisville, in addition to rival Florida State, every year under a new scheduling model adopted by the Atlantic Coast Conference.

The ACC on Tuesday announced the new 3-5-5 schedule rotation, ensuring all 14 football-playing institutions play each other home and away at least once during the four-year cycle, beginning with the 2023 season.

ACC athletic directors signed off on the new scheduling model Tuesday in a move that was expected after the NCAA Division I Council approved the deregulation of a rule that required leagues with 12 or more teams to split into divisions to stage conference title games.

ACC Primary Partners Under New Scheduling Format

Currently, the Atlantic Division and Coastal Division champions play for the ACC championship. The new model scraps divisions, which have been in place since 2005, as early as next season.

In 2023, the two teams with the best conference winning percentage will meet for the ACC crown, which was the case during the pandemic-altered 2020 season.

"The future ACC football scheduling model provides significant enhancements for our schools and conference, with the most important being our student-athletes having the opportunity to play every school both home and away over a four-year period," ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips said in a statement. "We appreciate the thoughtful discussions within our membership, including the head football coaches and athletic directors. In the end, it was clear this model is in the best interest of our student-athletes, programs and fans at this time."

The ACC grew from nine to 11 teams in 2004 with the additions of Miami and Virginia Tech. Boston College was added a year later, setting the stage for the very first ACC Championship game. This year's title game is scheduled for Dec. 3 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Under the current divisional format, each team has one permanent crossover opponent from the opposite division. Miami's crossover opponent is Florida State.

Mark Wallheiser/AP

The 3-5-5 scheduling model allows for three permanent conference opponents, protecting rivalries like Florida State-Miami, while rotating through the remaining teams (five one year and five the next).

It was a foregone conclusion that Florida State would be among the teams to remain on the schedule every year. The Hurricanes and Seminoles have played annually since 1969.

Perhaps more surprising were the two other teams the ACC paired with Miami. Boston College and Louisville are both in the Atlantic Division, while the Hurricanes play in the Coastal Division.

Boston College and Miami routinely played when they were both members of the old Big East Conference. Louisville and Miami have only met three times since the Cardinals joined the ACC in 2014.

Miami Hurricanes ACC Football Rotations (2023-26)

Miami will host Clemson, Georgia Tech, Louisville and Virginia and travel to Boston College, Florida State, North Carolina and North Carolina State next season.

Duke and Pittsburgh will visit Hard Rock Stadium in 2024, North Carolina, North Carolina State and Virginia Tech will visit in 2025, and Syracuse and Wake Forest will travel to South Florida in 2026.

Fans of the Hurricanes will have seen every ACC team at Hard Rock Stadium at least once by the end of the 2026 season.