What to watch for with Monday's ACC schedule release
SMU will learn its ACC foes for football for the next seven seasons when the league reveals them Monday night at 5 p.m. CT on the ACC Network. The Mustangs begin play in its new league in 2024 with the schedule model running through 2030.
Last year, a 3-3-5 model was implemented with three permanent opponents and five rotating opponents for each season. Now with Cal, SMU and Stanford entering the mix, change was needed.
“We’ve worked closely with ESPN, our partner, and closely with our three new schools and our campuses,” ACC commissioner Jim Phillips said earlier this month. “We’ve had too many iterations to name the number of, but I feel really good about that, while also protecting some very important rivalry games and some rivalry games that we have with other conferences. It’s been the ultimate jigsaw puzzle, but feel very, very good about that.”
What should SMU fans watch for? We break down some storylines to keep an eye on.
West Coast new ACC additions
With SMU smack dab in the middle of the league, expect the Mustangs to draw Cal and Stanford as two permanent rivals. That’d have SMU headed out to the West Coast every other year for matchups against the Bears or Cardinal.
This wouldn’t be shocking and makes a lot of sense as the ACC members that are already in place are trying to limit their own trips out West. SMU won’t mind having to make that trip once a year and hosting one of the West Coast teams a year.
Notre Dame-SMU matchup?
Yes, there are other big-name programs in the ACC SMU will draw, but none bigger than the Fighting Irish. It’s no secret Marcus Freeman’s program wants to mine Dallas a little more on the recruiting front. Will the Irish be on SMU’s schedule in 2024? Both schools have an opening…
The ACC would have to plug a league game for SMU into September as the Mustangs have two open weekends in September, but the Irish have games accounted for. It’d be a massive boost if SMU got a game against Notre Dame no matter at home or away to lead things off… we’ll be watching.
Travel distance for SMU
While SMU will get a West Coast trip and have a trip to Nashville on the books to play Vanderbilt as well, where else will the Mustangs travel to? There’s going to be no rhyme or reason as the ACC tries to put together this wild puzzle with 17 football teams.
It’ll be interesting to see if in Year 1 SMU draws a Miami or Boston College, programs in a large metroplexes that are private schools. Or is there a trip out east that catches the eye like Clemson, Duke, North Carolina or NC State?
No matter how far, Mustang fans are giddy to get on the road and see ACC country this fall.
