"The announcement of the title game's move from its usual 8 p.m. time slot was part of the ACC's 2026 schedule release Monday, which also included details on a busy opening weekend that will include games spread out over at least four days, along with a pair of international contests scheduled for Week 0. The ACC's shift in championship game schedule comes as part of a drive to add more eyeballs to the game and draw more fans to Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte."
"In the noon window, the ACC will be the lone Power Four conference playing at the time, kicking off a Saturday slate of title games. The earlier kick time also figures to make attendance more palatable given that the league is the lone power conference to play its championship game in an outdoor stadium. The temperature at kickoff at last season's championship game between Duke and Virginia was 31 degrees."
The ACC moved its 2026 championship game to a Saturday noon kickoff, making the league the only Power Four conference playing at that time to capture the television window. The earlier time aims to increase viewership and improve attendance at Bank of America Stadium by avoiding colder evening conditions in the outdoor venue. The conference released full schedules for all 17 teams and will transition toward a nine-game league slate, with five teams playing eight conference games in 2026 and 12 teams playing nine. The league also scheduled at least 19 Friday games and planned multiple Week 0 matchups, including North Carolina at TCU in Dublin.
Read at ESPN.com
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