The Atlantic Coast Conference men’s basketball schedule is getting a retro look.
What does that mean for Notre Dame and the other 17 ACC teams?
Beginning next season (2025-26) the number of conference games will be pared from 20 per team to 18. The ACC has been at 20 league contests since the 2019-20 season. Notre Dame entered the league for the 2013-14 season and played 18 ACC games a season up through 2018-19.
ACC women’s basketball teams never tried the 20-game format. They’ve bounced between 16 and 18 games since the Irish joined in 2013-14, and have played 18 since the 2021-22 season.
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So why the change for the men’s teams?
Per the ACC official release, the decision “comes after continued strategic assessment, during which the conference office collaborated with athletics directors, coaches, external consultants and television partners. This included working with multiple experts to conduct statistical analysis to examine the conference’s basketball product, metrics and scheduling.”
“Moving to an 18-game conference schedule is a direct result of our ongoing strategic review and analysis and provides our schools a better balance of non-conference and conference games,” ACC commissioner Jim Phillips said, “while also allowing them more autonomy in the scheduling process.
“This decision reflects our on-going prioritization to do what’s best for ACC men’s basketball, and we appreciate the thoughtfulness of our membership and the support from our television partners.”
As far as non-conference news, CBSsports.com insider Jon Rothstein recently reported that "Notre Dame and Ohio State are finalizing an agreement to start a home-and-home series next season in Columbus, according to multiple sources. Return game in South Bend in 2026-27."
Meanwhile, the new 18-game league schedule will feature teams starting league play in late December. They’ll end on the first Saturday in March. Last season, Notre Dame played an early-December ACC game against Syracuse, then resumed league play in late December.
Each team will play one primary partner both home and away as well as one variable partner home and away. The variable partner will be determined anew each season. Teams will play one game, home or away, against 14 of the remaining 15 teams annually, skipping one team entirely.
The primary partners are as follows:
Boston College-Notre Dame
Clemson-Georgia Tech
California-Stanford
Duke-North Carolina
Florida State-Miami
Louisville-SMU
NC State-Wake Forest
Pitt-Syracuse
Virginia Tech-Virginia
The full breakdown of 2025-26 opponents and conference schedules will be announced at a later date. The 2026 ACC Tourney is set for March 10-14 at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C.
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