Miami football has four 2024 top 10 ACC games

After substantial anticipation, the ACC announced its 2024 schedule on Wednesday. Weekday games were announced on Tuesday and programs knew their non-conference schedules before that. Grant Hughes of 247Sports is anticipating four Miami games.

Hughes examined the "ACC 2024 football schedule: Ranking the 10 biggest games on tap in new, 17-team league." Miami will begin the 2024 season at Florida on August 31. Visits from Florida A&M and Ball State, followed by a game at South Florida, concludes Miami's 2024 non-conference schedule.

Miami opens 2024 ACC play at Hard Rock Stadium versus Virginia Tech on September 27. After a one-year hiatus, Miami and Virginia Tech renew their rivalry this season. Miami and Virginia Tech played every season from 1992 through 2022. Surprisingly, Hughes left the Miami-Virginia Tech game off his list.

Florida and Miami will open the season for the second time in six seasons. The Gators defeated the Hurricanes 24-20 in Orlando in the first game of the Manny Diaz era in 2019. Miami will play at Florida in 2024. Florida plays at Miami on September 20, 2025.

Miami will make its first cross-country ACC trip on October 5 at California. After a bye week, the first Miami ACC game on Hughes' list is October 19 at Louisville. Hughes lists Miami at Louisville as the second biggest game involving an ACC team this season. cross-country

"7. MIAMI AT FLORIDA, WEEK 1
A once-bitter rivalry that’s fallen by the wayside in recent years renews in 2024 and is among the headliners of a jam-packed Week 1 slate in college football. The two in-state programs have met just twice since 2010, and the Hurricanes haven’t won in Gainesville since 2002. Both Mario Cristobal and Billy Napier are entering their third years on the job after underwhelming first and second-year campaigns and are looking to start strong in what should be pivotal years for both."

- Grant Hughes, 247Sports

Louisville defeated Miami 38-31 at Hard Rock Stadium in 2023. Miami leads the all-time series 11-4-1. Louisville ended a two-game losing streak to Miami last season. The game should be a critical one in what is expected to be a wide open race to earn a berth in the ACC Championship Game.

"2. MIAMI AT LOUISVILLE, WEEK 8
This is the first of just two matchups between teams ranked in the top three of the ACC’s preseason power rankings this fall. Louisville, picked No. 2, is looking for its second-straight win over the Hurricanes and first at home since the 2014 season. Outside of the Week 1 matchup with Florida, Miami has a favorable schedule until the Week 8 matchup in Kentucky and has a bye week to prepare for the Cardinals."

- Grant Hughes, 247 Sports

October is a gaunlet for Miami this season after a brutal November in 2023 when Miami began the month with three straight losses. Two of those were to Florida State and Louisville. After playing at Louisville, Miami hosts Florida State a week later on October 26. Florida State at Miami is Hughes' top 2024 ACC game.

"1. FLORIDA STATE AT MIAMI, WEEK 9
This Week 9 rivalry matchup might have conference-championship implications and could factor into the College Football Playoff race. Miami leads the all-time series 35-33, but Florida State has won the last three matchups, including a 45-3 beatdown during its last trip to Coral Gables (2022). The Hurricanes missed several opportunities to pull off the upset in last season’s 27-20 loss in Tallahassee, and both programs, led by two of the nation’s top transfer quarterbacks, might be playing their best ball come late October."

- Grant Hughes, 247 Sports

Miami will play one of the top 10 games ranked by Hughes for a third straight week when the Hurricanes host Duke on November 2. Manny Diaz will make his first return to Hard Rock Stadium when he was unceremoniously fired at the end of the 2021 regular season.

"8. DUKE AT MIAMI, WEEK 10
We’re labeling this one the “Manny Diaz Bowl.” Duke hired the former Miami head coach from Penn State after Mike Elko departed for Texas A&M, setting up what should be an exciting return to Coral Gables for Diaz in Week 10. The game should have an impact on the conference standings late in the season and pits two of the conference’s top quarterbacks against another in transfers Cameron Ward and Maalik Murphy. The Blue Devils have also won their last two games in Hard Rock Stadium."

- Grant Hughes, 247Sports

Miami has a more favorable November. After the game versus Duke, Miami travels to Georgia Tech, has a bye week, hosts Wake Forest and finishes the regular season at Syracuse on November 30. We will find out a lot about Miami when the schedule turns to November.