REPORT: The ACC is Looking to Reduce Conference Basketball Games by 2

According to CBS Sports, the ACC is looking to reduce the basketball conference slate from 20 games to 18 games.

Commissioner Jim Phillips, the conference’s athletics directors and ESPN have been in active discussions to move from 20 conference games to 18 starting with the 2025-26 season, sources told CBS Sports. The expectation among administrators is that the proposal will be approved when the league’s administrators meet in May for its annual spring meetings in Florida, sources said.

The 18-game proposal discussed by the ACC’s administrators would consist of one game against 16 teams and two games against a permanent rival (home and away) each season, sources said. The league’s 20-game schedule last season consisted of two repeat opponents, with new members Cal, SMU and Stanford grouped together as partners. (CBS)

The ACC increased the conference basketball schedule to 20 games back in 2019–20, coinciding with the launch of the ACC Network.

In regard to men’s basketball, the ACC is at one of its lowest points I can remember. Only four teams from the conference made the NCAA Tournament last season. Here’s the cold, hard truth: forcing ACC teams to play one another an additional two games can actually hurt their strength of schedule and limit their opportunity to pick up Quad 1 wins, which are extremely important to the NCAA Tournament selection committee.

If the ACC makes this move, they won’t be alone in the Power Conference world. While the Big 12 and Big Ten both play 20-game conference slates, the SEC plays 18 games.