GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – The Atlantic Coast Conference and its television partners announced the kickoff times and networks for all ACC controlled contests during the first three weeks of the 2021 football season Thursday.
Also included are the times and networks for the Thursday and Friday night contests throughout the 2021 season.
ESPN also announced its complete bowl schedule, which includes most ACC affiliated bowl games.
“It’s with great anticipation that we look forward to the 2021 ACC football season,” said ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips. “We are so proud of the continued efforts and resiliency by our student-athletes, coaches and institutional leadership in keeping everyone healthy and safe. ACC football is once again poised for tremendous exposure this season. Our teams are playing arguably the toughest non-conference schedule in the country, which kicks off Labor Day weekend with games over five consecutive days. We appreciate our fantastic television partners that provide fans access to their favorite ACC teams. As we enter the third football season on ACC Network, we know this season will showcase our outstanding programs more than ever before.”
The ACC college football season kicks off Thursday, Sept. 2, when NC State plays host to USF at 7:30 p.m. on ACC Network. That is the first of five consecutive days of ACC football action over the Labor Day weekend.
Among the games announced today is the league’s first conference matchup of the season between North Carolina and Virginia Tech on Friday, Sept. 3, in Blacksburg, Virginia. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. on ESPN. Other Labor Day weekend marquee matchups, which were previously announced, include Miami vs. Alabama (Sept. 4, 3:30 p.m., ABC in Atlanta), Clemson vs. Georgia (Sept. 4, 7:30 p.m., ABC in Charlotte), Notre Dame at Florida State (Sept. 5, 7:30 p.m., ABC in Tallahassee) and Louisville vs. Ole Miss (Sept. 6, 8 p.m., ESPN in Atlanta).
The second weekend of the season features two more ACC-SEC matchups – Pitt at Tennessee (noon, ESPN) and NC State at Mississippi State (7 p.m., ESPN2 or ESPNU). The weekend also includes a quadruple-header on ACC Network starting with Illinois at Virginia at 11 a.m., followed by Rutgers at Syracuse at 2 p.m., South Carolina State at Clemson at 5 p.m. and Jacksonville State at Florida State at 8 p.m.
Week three is highlighted by a trio of league games, including Georgia Tech at Clemson (3:30 p.m., ABC/ESPN), Florida State at Wake Forest (3:30 p.m., ABC/ESPN) and Virginia at North Carolina (7:30 p.m., ACCN). In other games featuring Power 5 matchups, Miami hosts Michigan State (noon, ABC/ESPN), Virginia Tech travels to West Virginia (noon, FS1) and Duke entertains Northwestern (4 p.m., ACCN).
The ACC’s non-conference schedule continues to be the most difficult in the country. In addition to 23 games against Power 5 opponents (including Notre Dame), the ACC will play 13 non-conference games against teams ranked in the final 2020 AP Top 25 poll. All 14 teams play at least one Power 5 non-conference opponent, while nine teams – Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami, North Carolina, Virginia and Virginia Tech – play two.
The 2021 ACC Football Championship Game will be played Dec. 4 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, and feature the winner of the Atlantic Division vs. the winner of the Coastal Division. The game will be televised by ABC with kickoff time announced at a later date.
Thursday, Sept. 2
USF at NC State 7:30 p.m., ACCN
Friday, Sept. 3
North Carolina at Virginia Tech, 6 p.m., ESPN
Duke at Charlotte, 7 p.m., CBSSN
Old Dominion at Wake Forest, 7 p.m., ACCN
Saturday, Sept. 4
Colgate at Boston College, Noon, ACCN
Miami vs. Alabama (Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game, Atlanta, Ga.), 3:30 p.m., ABC – previously announced
UMass at Pitt, 4 p.m., ACCN
Syracuse at Ohio, 7 p.m., CBSSN
Clemson vs. Georgia (Duke’s Mayo Classic, Charlotte, N.C.), 7:30 p.m., ABC – previously announced
Northern Illinois at Georgia Tech, 7:30 p.m., ACCN
William & Mary at Virginia, 7:30 p.m., RSN
Sunday, Sept. 5
Notre Dame at Florida State, 7:30 p.m., ABC – previously announced
Monday, Sept. 6
Louisville vs. Ole Miss (Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game, Atlanta, Ga.), 8 p.m., ESPN – previously announced
Friday, Sept. 10
North Carolina A&T at Duke, 8 p.m., ACCN
Saturday, Sept. 11
Boston College at UMass, TBD
Illinois at Virginia, 11 a.m., ACCN
Kennesaw State at Georgia Tech, Noon, RSN
Pitt at Tennessee, Noon, ESPN
Norfolk State at Wake Forest, Noon, ACCNX
Rutgers at Syracuse, 2 p.m., ACCN
Middle Tennessee at Virginia Tech, 2 p.m., ACCNX
South Carolina State at Clemson, 5 p.m., ACCN
Eastern Kentucky at Louisville, 7 p.m., ACCNX
Appalachian State at Miami, 7 p.m., ESPN2 or ESPNU
NC State at Mississippi State, 7 p.m., ESPN2 or ESPNU
Georgia State at North Carolina, 7:30 p.m., RSN
Jacksonville State at Florida State, 8 p.m., ACCN
Friday, Sept. 17
UCF at Louisville, 7:30 p.m., ESPN
Saturday, Sept. 18
Boston College at Temple, Noon, ESPN2 or ESPNU
Michigan State at Miami, Noon, ABC or ESPN
Western Michigan at Pitt, Noon, RSN
Virginia Tech at West Virginia, Noon, FS1
Albany at Syracuse, Noon, ACCN
Georgia Tech at Clemson, 3:30 p.m., ABC or ESPN
Florida State at Wake Forest, 3:30 p.m., ABC or ESPN
Northwestern at Duke, 4 p.m., ACCN
Virginia at North Carolina, 7:30 p.m., ACCN
Furman at NC State, 7:30 p.m., RSN
Friday, Sept. 24
Wake Forest at Virginia, 7 p.m., ESPN2
Liberty at Syracuse, 8 p.m., ACCN
Thursday, Sept. 30
Virginia at Miami, 7:30 p.m., ESPN
Friday, Oct. 15
Clemson at Syracuse, 7 p.m., ESPN
Friday, Nov. 5
Virginia Tech at Boston College, 7:30 p.m., ESPN2
Thursday, Nov. 11
North Carolina at Pitt, 7:30 p.m., ESPN
Thursday, Nov. 18
Louisville at Duke, 7:30 p.m., ESPN
Friday, Nov. 26
North Carolina at NC State, 3:30 or 7:30 p.m., ABC or ESPN
Saturday, Dec. 4
ACC Football Championship Game, TBD, ABC
Charlotte, N.C. • Bank of America Stadium
