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Clemson Football: How the ACC should schedule its dates amidst the pandemic

By Andrew Boardwine

GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 12: ACC Commissioner John Swofford speaks with the media prior to the quarterfinals round of the 2020 Men's ACC Basketball Tournament at Greensboro Coliseum on March 12, 2020 in Greensboro, North Carolina. Swofford addressed the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and the impact it will have on the remainder of the ACC Tournament. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 12: ACC Commissioner John Swofford speaks with the media prior to the quarterfinals round of the 2020 Men's ACC Basketball Tournament at Greensboro Coliseum on March 12, 2020 in Greensboro, North Carolina. Swofford addressed the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and the impact it will have on the remainder of the ACC Tournament. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) /
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The 2020 Clemson football schedule is going to be very different than anything we’ve seen in the past

The 2020 Clemson football season is going to look much different than anything we’ve seen in the past due to the changes made amidst the pandemic.

The ACC announced earlier this week that it would be playing a 10-game conference schedule that included provisions to play one non-conference game.

While some have speculated that the conference will end up only playing ACC games following the SEC’s decision, several insiders have reported that the conference is still moving forward with the idea of playing that ‘plus one’ model.

If the ACC keeps its 11 game schedule, here’s how we should see the conference schedule its dates for greatest optimization during the pandemic.

How we should see the ACC and Clemson football schedule the 2020 season

For Clemson football fans looking for the best scheduling options, here’s what it should look like in the ACC:

  • Start competition the week of Sept. 7-12
  • Play the ACC Championship game Dec. 19, the same day as the SEC
  • Have at least two conference-wide bye weeks built into the schedule

If the ACC starts the week of Labor Day and doesn’t play the title game until December 19, that gives you 15 weeks to play the 11 games.

Why not schedule the non-conference game at the beginning of the season- perhaps Week 1 or Week 2 and have conference-wide bye weeks built into the schedule.

So, it could look something like this: Teams play their first five weeks and all have a bye week at the same time. At that point, games that may have had to been postponed due to the pandemic could rescheduled during Week 6. You can do the same thing again at around Week 10.

Finally, just like the SEC, the ACC should have a bye week built into the week of Dec. 12- the Saturday before the conference championship game. That would give the two teams that would be playing in the game a week to quarantine and get testing under control and would give others a chance to make up games that may have been missed earlier in the season.

Next. Losing two rivalry games in 2020 is ridiculous. dark

Perhaps the key to this Clemson football season- and ACC football season overall- will be unified bye weeks across the conference to allow chances for postponements to be played and starting the season as early as Labor Day gives the conference ample time to build those bye weeks into the schedule.

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