The official 2020 ACC football schedule was released for all 15 teams on Thursday. The schedule included dates and non-conference opponent information, too: 11 games (10 conference, one non-conference matchup) over 13 weeks, starting Sept. 10.
As far as the title game goes, the 2020 ACC Football Championship Game will be played Dec. 12 or 19 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.
All four of the North Carolina-based ACC teams will start the 2020 season on that first Saturday: Sept. 12. Here’s a look at each program’s 2020 schedule: dates, locations and non-conference opponents. North Carolina, along with Clemson, is one of two ACC teams that have yet to officially announce an out-of-conference opponent.
Duke
Sept. 12 — at Notre Dame
Sept. 19 — Boston College
Oct. 3 — Virginia Tech
Oct. 10 — at Syracuse
Oct. 17 — at NC State
Oct. 31 — Charlotte
Nov. 7 — North Carolina
Nov. 14 — at Virginia
Nov. 21 — Wake Forest
Nov. 28 — at Georgia Tech
Dec. 5 — Florida State
Schedule Thoughts
For the first time since 2013, Duke and NC State will play one another. Duke hasn’t played at Carter Finley Stadium since 2009, when a guy named Russell Wilson played quarterback for the Wolfpack. Amazingly, this will be just the second time that David Cutcliffe has taken on NC State in Raleigh
The Blue Devils conclude the regular season at home to Florida State. This will be the first time since 2001 that Duke’s schedule featured a regular season game in December.
Duke also kept its scheduled matchup with Charlotte on the slate for 2020. During the 2019 season, Charlotte went 7-6 and competed in the Bahamas Bowl.
NC State
Sept. 12 — at Virginia Tech
Sept. 19 — Wake Forest
Oct. 3 — at Pitt
Oct. 10 — at Virginia
Oct. 17 — Duke
Oct. 24 — at North Carolina
Nov. 6 — Miami (Friday)
Nov. 14 — Florida State
Nov. 21 — Liberty
Nov. 28 — at Syracuse
Dec. 5 — Georgia Tech
Schedule Thoughts
The appearance of Liberty will certainly raise some eyebrows.
Four of NC State’s first six games are on the road, capped by an Oct. 24 rivalry matchup in Chapel Hill with North Carolina. Of that first half-dozen of games, the Week 2 matchup with Wake Forest looms as an important one.
However, on the back end of that, four of NC State’s final five games, including a Friday night matchup with talented Miami, are at home.
Miami and Florida State on back-to-back weeks is tough sledding, but both games will take place in Raleigh.
A few observations on the schedule:
• As previously noted: former VT assistants Charley Wiles and Brian Mitchell will have their first game at NC State against their former team.
• Four of the first six on the road, four of the final five at home.
• Liberty is the plus-one.— The Wolfpacker (@TheWolfpacker) August 6, 2020
North Carolina
Sept. 12 — Syracuse
Sept. 19 — Non-conference (TBA)
Oct. 3 — at Boston College
Oct. 10 — Virginia Tech
Oct. 17 — at Florida State
Oct. 24 — NC State
Oct. 31 — at Virginia
Nov. 7 — at Duke
Nov. 14 — Wake Forest
Nov. 27 — Notre Dame (Friday)
Dec. 5 — at Miami
Schedule Thoughts
Before the wrecking ball that is the COVID-19 pandemic, and before the ACC reshuffled its football schedule, North Carolina had a schedule that was incredibly front-loaded. The Sept. 4 game with Central Florida is gone. The Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Game against Auburn is off the table, too.
Can the offense, led by Sam Howell and plenty of talent at the skill positions, pick up where it left off in 2019?
North Carolina is one of two ACC teams yet to announce its lone non-conference matchup. Clemson is the other team.
Coming down the stretch will be the real challenge for the Tar Heels. After an open week, UNC will host Notre Dame — the league’s second best time, on paper — on Friday, Nov. 27. (Could this have ACC title game implications?) Following that, North Carolina must travel south for a matchup with a Miami squad that’s loaded defensively.
Wake Forest
Sept. 12 — Clemson
Sept. 19 — at NC State
Sept. 26 — Notre Dame
Oct. 9 — Old Dominion (Friday)
-
- (Appalachian State will wait, 2 future games added too)
Oct. 17 — Virginia
Oct. 24 — Virginia Tech
Oct. 31 — at Syracuse
Nov. 14 — at North Carolina
Nov. 21 — at Duke
Nov. 28 — Miami
Dec. 5 — at Louisville
Schedule Thoughts
Losing the Wake Forest-Appalachian State matchup is a bit of a bummer to those in the western part of the state; however, the two program agreed to postpone and add two more future games. Now Wake Forest and App State have three future matchups on the docket: two in Winston-Salem, one in Boone.
Launching the 2020 season against Clemson is no small task, either.
Wake Forest doesn't play a single opponent that it has a winning record against in series history.
Every ACC opponent historically has a winning record against the Deacs. ODU and Wake have never played.
— Conor O'Neill (@ConorONeillWSJ) August 6, 2020