It will likely be an attention-grabbing 12 months for the ACC on the heels of a constructive displaying within the 2024 school soccer season. It made fairly the impression by becoming a member of the Large Ten and the SEC as the one conferences to put a number of groups within the first 12-team School Soccer Playoff. 4 ACC groups completed the 12 months ranked within the AP High 25 and two ACC gamers completed within the top-10 of Heisman Trophy voting, together with finalist and former Miami quarterback Cam Ward.
Colleges like North Carolina made an offseason splash by hiring Invoice Belichick, who has by no means held a major school teaching job. He did win six Tremendous Bowls as coach of the NFL’s New England Patriots, although.
Now, we’ve got a full glimpse on the ACC’s journey to repeating that success because the convention launched its full schedule for the 2025 season on Monday evening. So let’s now take a look at a few of the largest takeaways from the schedule reveal.
ACC can show itself in Week 1
The primary week of the 2025 school soccer season offers an enormous alternative for the ACC. The convention did place two groups within the School Soccer Playoff final season, however neither Clemson nor SMU made a lot of a splash as soon as they obtained there, which sparked loads of (largely unjustified) questions in regards to the convention’s relative power.
ACC faculties could have each likelihood to silence these doubters in Week 1 with an enormous slate of nonconference video games. Seven ACC groups are scheduled to play a Energy 4 convention foe over Labor Day weekend.
Clemson hosts LSU in a battle between what might be two preseason top-10 groups. The identical might be stated for Miami’s dwelling sport towards Notre Dame. Florida State will attempt to put a disastrous 2024 season behind it by opening 2025 towards Alabama at dwelling.
These are the headliners, however there are many essential video games past that. Georgia Tech travels to Colorado, Syracuse vs. Tennessee and Virginia Tech vs. South Carolina will likely be performed at impartial websites after which the “Invoice Belichick Period” will get underway with North Carolina internet hosting TCU. Virtually all of those video games contain — presumably — ranked groups. A robust displaying by the ACC with such a troublesome slate will go a great distance in the direction of bettering the notion across the league.
Belichick will get a good first-year draw
Talking of Belichick, he actually couldn’t have requested for a extra favorable schedule in his first 12 months with North Carolina. The Tar Heels wish to battle again from a lackluster 6-7 12 months, which ended with the firing of longtime coach Mack Brown.
The Tar Heels solely get six dwelling video games — together with that season opener towards TCU — however 9 of their 12 video games will likely be performed within the state of North Carolina. One in every of their nonconference highway video games is at Charlotte, and the opposite is towards a UCF group that went 4-8 in 2024.
North Carolina will get a bye earlier than opening convention play at dwelling towards Clemson in Week 6. It additionally will get a bye earlier than touring cross nation to Cal two weeks later. UNC will not even need to cross state strains in any of its ultimate three video games at Wake Forest, at dwelling towards Duke and at NC State.
If Belichick is trying to make a first-year splash, that is the schedule to do it.
Invoice Belichick’s North Carolina teaching employees, switch class as Tar Heels construct towards 2025 season
Will Backus
SMU faces a tricky path
SMU deservedly made the School Soccer Playoff after profitable 11 video games and falling simply wanting capturing the ACC crown in its first 12 months with the convention, however the Mustangs weren’t in a position to kick doubts about their power of schedule at any level within the 12 months.
That won’t be a problem subsequent season. If SMU desires to repeat its breakout 2024 efficiency, it is going to need to run the ACC gauntlent.
Rhett Lashlee’s squad has to play each Clemson and Miami within the latter half of the 12 months after dodging each final common season. The Mustangs additionally host a Syracuse group that gained 10 video games in 2024 and Louisville, which is coming off a 9-4 marketing campaign.
The excellent news for SMU is that three of these 4 aforementioned video games will likely be performed throughout the pleasant confines of Gerald J. Ford Stadium. SMU additionally will get a bye earlier than closing the 12 months versus Louisville and touring to Cal.
Can Florida State bounce again?
Florida State’s 2024 season was an abject catastrophe finest left prior to now. With an eye fixed turned in the direction of the long run, many are questioning: Do the Seminoles have what it takes to claw themselves again to respectability?
The 2025 squad will get a baptism by hearth when it opens the 2025 season at dwelling towards Alabama, which went via its personal form of rut (by solely profitable 9 video games — the horror!) final season. A win towards a probable preseason top-15 opponent will surely set a constructive tone for the remainder of the 12 months.
As soon as convention play begins, customary video games towards Miami (at dwelling) and Clemson (on the highway) await. Florida State faces a very brutal four-game stretch to finish the 12 months. With out good thing about a bye week, the Seminoles need to play at Clemson, host Virginia Tech, at NC State after which at Florida for his or her regular-season finale.
Clemson and Florida will virtually assuredly be ranked that late into the 12 months, whereas each Virginia Tech and NC State — a perennial borderline contender — are darkish horse candidates to make an ACC run.
