Miami football in ACC pod scheduling is complex
The 2020 Miami football schedule is pure conjecture with the ACC slated to announce they will go-ahead by the end of July. Expect the ACC to only play conference games with a myriad of possibilities being discussed.
However the ACC proceeds with the 2020 college football schedule, expect it to be complex for the Miami Football program. The Richmond Times-Dispatch on Wednesday posted a pod system of three five-team ACC scheduling pods is being considered for the 2020 season.
Notre Dame would be included as an ACC Football member for 2020. Miami would be paired with Florida State and Georgia Tech with the other two teams in what would amount to the Southern Pod in ACC being open. Two of the three possibilities would include Clemson.
The second option listed by the Times-Dispatch would include Miami, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Clemson and Virginia Tech. The third option would be the same four teams with Louisville replacing Virginia Tech. The first option listed by the Times-Dispatch would be Miami, Florida State, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Duke.
Teams in the pod would play a home-and-home like how the NFL Divisional scheduling does. Part of the idea behind the Pod Scheduling is to preserve the four ACC-SEC annual rivalry games between Florida and Florida State, Clemson and South Carolina, Georgia and Georgia Tech and Louisville and Kentucky.
Another game would be added to what is expected to be a 10 game 2020 football schedule. The remainder of the pods are below. Teams in other pods can play each other once but would almost definitely not play twice.
"Option No. 1Pod B: Virginia Tech, Virginia, Clemson, N.C. State, Wake Forest.Pod C: Syracuse, Boston College, Pittsburgh, Louisville, Notre Dame.Option No. 2Pod B: North Carolina, N.C. State, Duke, Wake Forest, Virginia.Pod C: Syracuse, Boston College, Pittsburgh, Louisville, Notre Dame.Option No. 3Pod B: North Carolina, N.C. State, Duke, Wake Forest, Virginia.Pod C: Syracuse, Boston College, Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, Virginia Tech."
The schedule in innovative and in some instances thought to be considered to save money allowing teams to bus to away games. For the Miami football program that is not a likely option. The closest ACC Rival for Miami is Florida State. Tallahassee is 485 miles away which is about an eight-hour non-stop bus ride.
Compare that to the Duke and North Carolina campuses that are less than 10 miles apart. However the pod system plays out expect Miami to likely see Notre Dame on the schedule. Miami and Notre Dame are not scheduled to play again until 2024 in South Bend. The teams last met in 2017 at Hard Rock Stadium.
Next. Teams Miami most likely would play in all ACC schedule. dark
The option to add a Miami-Notre Dame game and the potential ratings it could bring in would be too much for the ACC to pass up in a year they are desperately in need of the finances the Hurricanes and Fighting Irish would bring.