Miami football VaTech rivalry restored and the new ACC scheduling model

The ACC announced its new scheduling format on Monday with the Miami football team and Virginia Tech restored to playing on an annual basis. Miami will also play Florida State annually as part of the ACC’s protected games announced on Monday. Miami has a new rotating schedule of teams beginning in 2024.

The Miami football team will host Duke, Florida State, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest in 2024. California, Georgia Tech, Louisville and Syracuse will host Miami in 2024. In 2025 Louisville, NC State, Stanford, and Syracuse will play at Hard Rock Stadium. Miami will travel to Florida State, Pittsburgh, SMU and Virginia Tech.

In 2026 Miami will host Boston College, Florida State, Pittsburgh and Virginia Tech and play at Clemson, North Carolina, Stanford and Wake Forest. Miami hosts Cal, Georgia Tech, Louisville, and Virginia in 2027 and travels to Duke, Florida State, NC State, and Virginia Tech. Miami lost Boston College and Louisville as annual rivals.

Miami will host Duke, Florida State, Stanford and Virginia Tech in 2028 and travel to Boston College, Syracuse, Pittsburgh and Virginia. In 2029 Miami hosts Clemson, North Carolina, SMU and Wake Forest and plays at Cal, Florida State, NC State and Virginia Tech. The seven-year scheduling model concludes in 2030.

Miami will host Boston College, Florida State, Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech in 2030 and travel to Clemson, North Carolina, SMU and Virginia. One of the biggest takeaways for the new Miami schedule is that the Hurricanes will host Florida State and Virginia Tech in even-numbered years and play them on the road in odd years.

The new schedule replaced the 3-4-5 format that was announced in July 2022 before California, SMU and Stanford were accepted into the conference earlier this year. The new schedule formal was announced after a month of significant discussions per the ACC. The new model will continue to have ACC teams play eight conference games.

Four current ACC athletic directors worked with Jim Knowlton of California to devise the future ACC scheduling model. The 17 teams in the ACC will play each other at least twice in the next seven seasons in what will amount to a home-and-home. The current 14 ACC teams will play three times each in California in the next seven years.

None of the current ACC teams will travel to California in consecutive seasons. Miami last played in California in 2008 in the Emerald Bowl in San Francisco. California beat Miami 24-17. The Hurricanes defeated the Bears by 28 points in Miami in 1989 and at Berkeley in 1990. Miami lost 7-3 at SMU in their only meeting in 1965.

Stanford is one of six Power Conference teams the Miami football team has not played. Playing California and Stanford provides Miami and other ACC teams with more opportunities to recruit in the Golden State. Miami has frequently recruited well in Texas. Playing SMU is another inroads into the Metroplex and Texas.