ACC holding off on decision over 9-game football schedule

GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) — Atlantic Coast Conference athletic directors are holding off on going to a nine-game league football schedule.

League spokeswoman Amy Yakola said in a text message to The Associated Press that the ADs had "good further discussions" in a Friday morning conference call but made no decision on scheduling changes.

The idea has been around for years but has picked up steam with the recent announcement that the league would launch its own TV channel through ESPN by August 2019. There will also be a digital channel going online later this month.

Speaking during the league's preseason media days last month, Commissioner John Swofford said the ACC would eventually go to a 20-game men's basketball schedule in time for the launch of the ACC Network, part of an effort to boost available content toward the goal of airing more than 1,300 events annually through those outlets.

At the time, Swofford wouldn't rule out the possibility of going to a nine-game football schedule and wouldn't reveal specifics about how much more money league schools would receive through the creation of the channel.

ACC teams currently play an eight-game league schedule, while Notre Dame — a football independent but an ACC member in other league sports — plays five ACC teams annually.

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