The ACC announced it would be returning to an 18-game conference schedule model for men’s basketball Wednesday afternoon. The change will go into effect immediately. The league had been using a 20-game format since the 2019-20 season (with the exception of the 2020-21 season).
“As a league, we have been transparent about the importance of ACC Men’s Basketball and specifically our commitment to ensuring it is best positioned for the future,” said conference commissioner Jim Phillips in a release. “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, 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.”
The 18-game model will necessitate changes for the league, which currently holds 18 members. In the model, each school is paired with one “primary partner,” which the school will play twice during the regular season. UNC’s primary partner is Duke.
In addition, each school will have a “variable partner,” which it will play twice, and that variable partner will change year-to-year. Teams will play 14 of the 15 remaining schools once, meaning each ACC school will not play one other ACC school in the regular season each year.
For UNC, this new model puts at risk the longstanding home-and-home series against fellow Triangle rival NC State. The Tar Heels and Wolfpack have met at least twice in every season ACC basketball has been played. The league was founded in 1953.
The full list of 2025-26 opponents and schedules will be announced at a later date.
Featured image via Todd Melet
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