I should be happy. I should be jumping up and down. Let’s have a party. The Atlantic Coast Conference Board of Directors voted to have a 2020 fall sports season amid much controversy. That deadly killer known as the coronavirus won’t stop college football. [I hope.]
Football and other fall sports will be delayed until September 10. Football will begin the same week with 10 league games and one non conference home opponent. The dates have not been selected but each school has a selected model. There will be one division and the two teams with the best conference game winning percentage will be invited to the ACC Championship game..
The University of Louisville football team’s home schedule will feature Florida State, Miami, Syracuse, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest. Games on the road are at Boston College, Georgia Tech, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh and Virginia. No information yet on whether Kentucky will be UofL’s non-conference opponent.
The exciting part of this is the ACC is planning a season. Louisville will not have an opportunity to play at Clemson. Some Cardinal fans might like this. I don’t. I’d really like to see how the Cardinals measure up against one of the nation’s best. They probably wouldn’t win at Clemson, but it would have been nice to watch.
No clues abut how the ACC came up with this arrangement. But it would have been nice to see North Carolina or Duke on the schedule. Don’t get me wrong. I’m happy the ACC is working toward a football season and the fall olympic sports. I’m a little tired of Syracuse and Wake Forest. Louisville has yet to play Virginia Tech in the ACC.
What I find this troubling is that Notre Dame, a member in all sports except football, will be eligible for the championship game. ND will play 10 conference games and one non-conference game. Profits from the five ACC home games broadcast by NBC will be divided equally by all 15 institutions.
That’s good. But. Why? Why? Why let Notre Dame play for the ACC championship. The ACC is bailing out the Fighting Irish. I would have told the South Bend choirboys either stay in the league as a football member or forget it.
I guess league commissioner John Swofford or the board of directors didn’t want to hurt their feelings. I just think it’s unfair for Notre Dame to come in at the last minute and say, ‘Oh, ACC. Help us. Please help us.’
I would be strongly in favor of the Irish being a permanent football playing member. It would strengthen the conference. But no. We will play in the ACC this year and see you later. The Irish will take their big TV contract and do what they selfishly want.
Selfishly I want a football season. Selfishly I want to see this Louisville team. It should be fun and exciting. But right now nothing is certain. The ACC or any state or local government can change all this in a millisecond.
That’s why I’m not jumping up and down.