The ACC is moving from a 20- to 18-game conference schedule in basketball, per a report from Matt Norlander of CBS Sports on Wednesday morning. Conference games were increased from 18 to 20 games for the 2019-20 season, in part to provide the ACC Network with more programming.
Norlander stated part of the reason for the decrease in conference games was because"some upper-echelon programs want to free up two more non-con games as opposed to having games 19 and 20 be potential intra-league Quad 3/4 scenarios."
Miami has been both an upper-echelon ACC program and at the bottom of the conference since the switch to 20 conference games per season. The Hurricanes finished 11-28 in the first two seasons the ACC played 20 conference games. Miami was 29-11 in the ACC in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons combined.
Miami finished fourth in the ACC in 2021-22 and won the regular season conference championship for the second time in 2023 on their way to their only Final Four appearance. After beginning the 2023-24 season 15-7 overall and 6-4 in the ACC, Miami lost its last 10 conference games.
After finishing 6-14 in the ACC in 2023-24, Miami was 3-17 in the conference and 7-24 overall during the 2024-25 season. Miami is 49-70 in the five seasons the ACC has scheduled 20 conference games per season. The Hurricanes played 19 of their 20 scheduled games during the 2020-21 Covid season.
The schedule change that goes into effect for the 2025-26 season will free up two more non-conference games for Miami. The two ACC games that will be removed from Miami's 2025–26 schedule are still unknown. Miami will open the 2025-26 season and the Jai Lucas era versus Jacksonville on November 3.
Miami will also play in the 2025 ESPN Events Invitational that includes BYU, Dayton and Georgetown. Expect Florida State and Miami to continue playing twice per season in basketball. Miami has frequently played Virginia Tech twice as a carryover from their football rivalry. The rest of the schedule is likely in flux.