Clemson, Notre Dame to End Regular Season Sat.; ND Clinches ACC Title Game Bid

The Atlantic Coast Conference will now determine the participants of its football championship game based on a nine-game league schedule, the ACC announced Tuesday.

The decision means both No. 4 Clemson (8-1, 7-1 ACC) and No. 2 Notre Dame (9-0, 8-0 SEC) will complete their regular season slates this weekend with the Fighting Irish having clinched a berth in the conference title game.

ACC administrators made the change following a recommendation from the Athletic Director football subcommittee. 

The subcommittee's vote reflected a desire to "preserve the integrity of the ACC Football Championship Game". 

No. 7 Miami (7-1, 6-1 ACC) will face Duke on Saturday, December 5 before finishing off its nine-game schedule against No. 19 North Carolina on December 12. Should the Hurricanes miss out on the ACC title game, they'll play a previously-scheduled final conference contest against Georgia Tech on December 19—the same day as the ACC Championship. 

The league provided an updated schedule: 

Thursday, Dec. 10
Pitt at Georgia Tech (previously announced)

Saturday, Dec. 12
Virginia at Virginia Tech (previously announced)
North Carolina at Miami (previously announced)
Duke at Florida State
Wake Forest at Louisville

Saturday, Dec. 19
ACC Football Championship Game, 4 p.m., ABC (previously announced)
Georgia Tech at Miami (previously announced and if Miami is not in the FCG)
Florida State at Wake Forest

So far the ACC has completed 74 of the 85 football games scheduled this year and has adopted updated policies to finish the season on time. Beginning this week, teams must administer PCR tests on Thursday with results returned prior to any visiting teams traveling to game locations. 

Per the conference: 

"Should a game(s) involving Clemson, Miami or Notre Dame not be played this weekend, the ACC has the option to reschedule games on Dec. 12 as needed. Based on the current standings and results to date, Notre Dame holds all tiebreakers and has therefore secured a berth in the ACC Football Championship Game."

The ACC began the season with the expectation its championship berths would be handed out using an 11-game schedule featuring 10 conference games and one non-conference opponent. That plan has been adjusted as the coronavirus continues to surge across the country.