SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WUTR/WFXV/WPNY) – The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) announced today that it would be doing away with its “division style” scheduling, instead of moving to a 3-5-5 format, meaning each team will have three games against “permanent opponents” and five games against five of the ten remaining ACC schools.

The ACC stated that its reasoning for the switch was to ensure that all student-athletes would have the chance to play every other school in the conference twice in their four-year college career, once at home and once on the road. The conference also made clear that its champion will be decided in a conference championship game between the two schools with the best conference winning percentage.

The announcement bring big changes for Syracuse, who prior to the switch faced off with perennial national powerhouse Clemson every season, who they have only been able to beat once since joining the ACC in 2013. The Orange will instead face Boston College, Pitt, and Florida State yearly now, with the other ACC schools rotating through their schedule.

Openings in the schedule allow Syracuse to keep non-conference games that had previously been announced still on the schedule, including matchups with Tennessee and Notre Dame in 2025 and a home-and-home with Penn State in 2027 and 2028. ‘Cuse opens their 2022 season with the Louisville Cardinals at the JMA Wireless Dome on September 3rd at 8 pm.