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ATLANTA — The ACC is expected to consider changing the format of its football championship as it weighs how to protect its regular-season champion before the College Football Playoff, commissioner Jim Phillips said Sunday.
One of the ideas soon to be discussed among athletic directors is changing the ACC Championship Game into a play-in game for the CFP with a matchup between the Nos. 2 and 3 teams in the conference standings. The regular-season champion would remain idle on conference championship week and be rewarded with an automatic bid into the playoff.
Such a decision, however, would likely be predicated on whether the CFP decides to adopt the much-discussed 3-3-2-2-1 format among the Power Four conferences, which would guarantee the ACC with two automatic bids every season starting in with the 2026 season.
“If we start to downgrade conference champions, then why would anyone want to play an extra game as you get ready for the playoff?” Phillips said.
The ACC faced that circumstance this season when SMU ran through the conference with an undefeated record but then lost to Clemson in the championship game. SMU was uncertain it would make the playoff, leading coach Rhett Lashlee to wonder if it would have been better for the team to have “caught COVID” and skip the ACC title game.
Phillips’ other idea is to conduct a postseason tournament with the No. 1 team facing No. 4 and No. 2 facing No. 3 on Thanksgiving weekend. The winners would play in the ACC Championship Game on its regular date. Complicating matters is the schedule, particularly for the ACC programs that play nonconference rivals on the final weekend of the season (Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech and Louisville).
Phillips said he will present the ideas to coaches…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/acc-mulling-conference-championship-format-tweaks-as-potential-college-football-playoff-changes-loom-ahead/
Author : Brandon Marcello
Publish date : 2025-01-20 18:16:00
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