Overview

• The ACC will cut its men's basketball conference schedule from 20 games to 18 games beginning with the 2025-26 season.
• The change is designed to boost NCAA Tournament bids by allowing teams to schedule higher-profile nonconference games.
• ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips described the decision as part of a strategic review to prioritize the league’s basketball competitiveness.
• The revised scheduling model ensures annual home-and-away games for primary rivalries but reduces the frequency of matchups with some league members.
• This adjustment aligns the ACC with the SEC’s 18-game format, as the Big 12 recently made a similar reduction, while the Big Ten remains at 20 games.