ACC Ready To Scrap Football Divisions

The Atlantic and Coastal Divisions of the ACC are expected to be a relic of the past very soon.

PITTSBURGH -- For the first eight years of its existence, Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech dominated the ACC's Coastal Division, combining to win each of the first eight division titles. Ever since, the Coastal has been a rotating, chaotic jumble of sacrificial lambs for Atlantic Division powerhouses Clemson and Florida State to decimate on their way to multiple conference titles. The Pittsburgh Panthers were one such victim in 2018. 

But the Panthers and Wake Forest recently upset that pecking order by earning their way to the first ACC Championship game without the Tigers or Seminoles in 13 years. 

But now, those divisions are set to become a thing of the past as ACC officials prepare to scrap the current championship format, according to reports from ACC Spring Meetings in Florida. On Monday, Miami athletic director Dan Radakovich said that the ACC is zeroing in on a three-three-five format that gives each team three permanent opponents, while the remaining five are determined on a rotating basis. 

The purpose of this model is to keep matchups fresh, instead of letting division ties determine six of the eight ACC contests per year. For example, Pitt and Clemson have been on the same conference as one another for almost nine years, but have only played each other twice during the regular season. This past season was the first time that the Tigers had played in Pittsburgh ever.  

There is not yet a timetable for when these changes will be implemented. Conference officials must first meet with ESPN, the primary holder of the ACC's television rights, and get their approval before actually putting the changes into action. 

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