Syracuse, N.Y. -- Syracuse athletic director John Wildhack suggested that the Orange would likely be paired with Pittsburgh and Boston College on an annual basis if the ACC makes the expected move to a new 3-5-5 scheduling model for football.
Wildhack appeared on the Orange Nation radio program on ESPN Radio Syracuse on Tuesday, touching on both the Orange’s non-conference schedule and the ACC’s potential shift toward a new league schedule.
The conference’s current divisional structure means that schools play seven teams on an annual basis. However, they only play the other league opponents twice every 12 years.
A proposed change that seems likely to be put in place by the league eliminates divisions and would feature three permanent opponents. It would guarantee two games against the other 10 teams every four years.
Pittsburgh and Boston College have been frequently suggested as two of the three permanent partners for Syracuse, as have former Big East opponents like Louisville, Virginia Tech and Miami.
“For us Pitt and BC make a tremendous amount of sense,” Wildhack said. “We’ve played them frequently. They are geographic rivals. That third opponent, it gives the conference a little more flexibility where teams might want to be in certain markets, certain matchups might be more attractive for ESPN or the ACC Network. We’ve tried to create some flexibility for that third spot.”
Wildhack said that he is part of a sub-committee of ACC athletic directors that has been tasked with considering the best way for the league to build its schedule. Their work was the subject of conversation at the annual ACC Spring Meetings in Amelia Island, Florida last week.
The new method would eliminate long droughts for schools where they don’t play certain league opponents and would also create a more even playing field when the league has a team like Clemson, which has dominated the conference for the better part of the decade.
“There was a lot of discussion at the meetings last week, there was a lot of discussion prior,” Wildhack said. “I think there’s enthusiasm and I think it’s garnering support. I’m a proponent. I think it makes sense for a lot of different reasons. .... I would hope we can get this over the finish line and potentially it could be in place in 2023.”
The ACC has used divisions since Syracuse joined the conference in 2013 because of an NCAA rule that requires a league to have divisions or play a full round-robin schedule in order to hold a conference championship game.
The Division I Football Oversight Committee recently suggested that requirement be dropped. If their recommendation is put into effect, it would open the door for the ACC to explore its options.
Wildhack also touched on the other half of Syracuse’s football schedule, an oft-discussed subject for a program that has traditionally struggled to reach bowl eligibility each year.
Easier non-conference games can buoy a team’s chances to win six games and qualify for a bowl game, which is often considered an important milestone for football teams. The difference between five and six wins, however, likely does little for the school in terms of national notoriety or respect.
Wildhack said the school is currently seeking a balanced approach, with some games that Syracuse might be expected to win and others against big-name national programs that might be exciting for fans. The school’s most recent scheduling announcements have been for games against Tennessee at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta and a home-and-home series with Penn State.
“We’re trying to thread a needle there,” Wildhack said. “We don’t want to over-schedule because of the eight games we have in the ACC (and Notre Dame in the rotation). There are times we have to play a really attractive opponent and I think that’s good for our fans. To do a home-and-home with Penn State in 2027 and 2028, I think it’s good and gives us a chance to grow our brand. The Tennessee game in 2025 will be in Atlanta, a national TV game. ... It gives us a chance to grow our brand in what’s becoming an increasingly growing market for us in Atlanta.”
The Orange has generally scheduled one non-conference game against a Power-Five opponent since joining the ACC. Some years that team has been a powerhouse program like LSU, while other years have included schools such as Maryland and Rutgers.
Syracuse will face two Power-Five programs next season (home against Purdue and Notre Dame) during a potentially make-or-break year for head coach Dino Babers. The school has opted for a particularly ambitious schedule in 2025, when it is scheduled to play Tennessee in Atlanta and visit Notre Dame.
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