ACC wants UK-Louisville game but SEC may not
- by Grant Boone
- in Sports
- — Jul 31, 2020
Each of the 15 conference members and Notre Dame will play an ACC schedule of 10 games over 13 weeks, with one non-conference game allowed per team.
However, reports Wednesday also reported that the Southeastern Conference athletic directors have agreed to a 10-game conference season only and the SEC university presidents are expected to approve that schedule today.
The non-conference games must be played in the home state of the ACC team.
For volleyball, the ACC announced that teams will play a 10-game conference schedule and may schedule non-conference opponents at their discretion, as long as opponents meet the ACC's medical protocol requirements. The league could also adjust to a 10-game conference-only schedule, too, depending on the mechanics of a piecemeal out-of-conference slate.
United Kingdom and Louisville have played a football game against one another every year since 1994.
The six already scheduled ACC opponents for 2020 remain the same with the addition of home games against Florida State and Syracuse. Women's soccer, women's volleyball and cross country may start no earlier than September 10, with conference championship events being held in late October and November. Clemson is scheduled to visit Heinz Field in 2021, perhaps precluding a game in Pittsburgh this season.
With the ACC's decision, Georgia's only way to play Virginia would've been to travel to Charlottesville, Virginia. Added to the road slate are trips to Boston College and North Carolina.
While UM President Julio Frenk has repeatedly announced his anticipation that Hurricanes football will take place without fans in 2020, the program's home stadium may be a safer place to welcome spectators than nearly any other stadium in the country. That contest, which was to be held at U of L's Cardinal Stadium on November 28, was UK's final regular-season game.
Teams within the Big 12 have done an impressive job of replacing games that have been canceled thus far (Kansas traded New Hampshire for Southern Illinois, Iowa State traded Iowa for Ball State and TCU is close to announcing a replacement for California, perhaps UNLV). A great institution that fits well with the ACC, but recognize they need to do what's best for Notre Dame. "We will be as prepared as possible should that need arise". That was supposed to change after the match-up was scrapped from being played in Ireland to kickoff the 2020 season. For Kentucky, the SEC's decision results in the loss of four previously-scheduled games against non-conference opponents, including its annual tilt against in-state rival Louisville. That game would be played in East Lansing. With divisions eliminated, the game will feature the top two teams in the conference based on winning percentage.