Five things I like about the 2014 ACC football schedule.

Finally have some time to really sit down and go over the ACC’s just released football schedule. This will be a 2 part series starting with what I like about schedule. Then we’ll get into what I don’t like about the schedule in a day or two.

You can check out the full ACC schedule here. Ok let’s get right into it…

Creation of Rivalry Weekend 

This is a great move by the ACC. With all the realignment expansion business of the last few years, nothing has taken harder hit than traditional rivalry games. No more Oklahoma/Nebraska no more Texas/Texas A&M and on and on. What the ACC has done in addition to the traditional Clemson/South Carolina, Florida St/Florida and Georgia Tech/Georgia is move Louisville/Kentucky to that week. I like that, a little ACC/SEC challenge, but NC State/UNC, Syracuse/Boston College, Wake Forest/Duke are also that weekend. Virginia/Virginia Tech is normally played then too. Only Miami/Pittsburgh seems a little forced, but that’s still a Coastal Division battle.

This is a good idea, and creates a lot of interest for fans. Even ESPN likes its.  I wouldn’t be surprised if you don’t see more conferences trying similar things.

Louisville vs Miami on Labor Day, Monday September 1, 2014

I’ve always like the ACC having a game on Labor Day. It’s usually a solid matchup, and is frequently pretty highly rated. What a great way to introduce Louisville to the ACC. Give them a prime time game, with one of the bigger brand names in the ACC. Last year was a great atmosphere at Pittsburgh for their game with Florida State, and with the nation watching it was Jameis Winston’s coming out party. I expect an exited sellout Louisville crowd, and the winner gets a national TV audience to impress the country.

Florida State at Louisville on Thursday November 1, 2014

This is another game that should have Louisville fans pumped. The defending national champion in your home stadium in November on prime time. Florida State is the hottest program in college football, and it makes sense one of the better matchups of the ACC season be on a Thursday. Look you don’t want all your best games on a Thursday night, but I remember last year’s Oregon\Stanford game and Baylor\Oklahoma. They were on a Thursday night in November, and the generated a lot of national interest. This has the potential to do the same.

The Notre Dame addition 

Go ahead and mark Notre Dame and Florida State for prime time probably Gameday on October 18 in Tallahassee. This will be one of the biggest games of the season anywhere. Whatever you might think about Notre Dame, they move the needle and people watch, and under Brian Kelly they will be pretty good. North Carolina and Louisville will get national TV coverage when they play at Notre Dame, and Syracuse gets a marquee game. This is a chance for the ACC to be on the national title stage several times this year.

Virginia Tech hosting Miami  Thursday on October 25, 2014

This isn’t so much about Virginia Tech playing Miami, this is about Virginia Tech hosting a Thursday night game. No program embraces playing on Thursday night more than Virginia Tech. When the Hokies host a Thursday night game it’s great publicity for their program and the ACC. Most fans dislike the inconvenience playing on Thursday, but Virginia Tech fans were pretty upset about not having a Thursday night game last year in Blacksburg. Their fans enjoy it, and Lane Stadium looks great on TV. Blacksburg should  have a Thursday night game every year.

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