The ACC has reportedly finalized which teams will play just eight conference games from 2027 to 2032.

Clemson will only have to play eight league games through the 2028 season, according to a report from On3’s Brett McMurphy, and won’t have to go to nine ACC games like other teams in the league.

The ACC’s move to a nine-game league slate was previously announced back in September, when the athletic directors from all 17 football-playing institutions overwhelmingly supported a regular season schedule that includes nine conference games and a minimum of 10 games each year against Power Four opponents.

Beginning in 2026, the ACC will adopt the new scheduling model, featuring a transition year where 12 teams play a nine-game conference schedule and five teams (Clemson, Boston College, Florida State, Georgia Tech, North Carolina) play an eight-game conference schedule, with all teams playing at least 10 Power Four opponents. By 2027, this shifts to a nine-game conference schedule for 16 teams and eight games for one team annually.

With the 17-team scheduling model and 17 football-playing members, rotating opponents ensures competitive balance over multi-year cycles, and not every team can play nine ACC opponents every season.

According to the report from McMurphy, Georgia Tech (2029, 2031), Syracuse (2030) and Florida State (2032) are the other teams that will play only eight ACC games through 2032.

The 11 ACC teams that will play nine conference games every year from 2026-32 include Cal, Duke, Louisville, Miami, NC State, Pitt, SMU, Stanford, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest.

 “All 17 league members collaborated on determining which schools would play nine or eight league games and it was decided, in part, based on future non-conference contracted games,” McMurphy reported.