ACC football schedule release: Every game for every team in 2023
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ESPN staff
The ACC is ditching divisions for 2023, and that has set up a schedule that looks a good bit different from years past.
The league released its 2023 schedule for all 14 teams Monday, highlighted by a showdown between defending champion Clemson and upstart Duke on Labor Day and a September matchup between Clemson and Florida State.
The league announced last year it would cease divisional play in 2023, waving goodbye to the familiar Atlantic and Coastal divisions in favor of a 3-5-5 system which will pit each team against three annual rivals and alternate home-and-home series vs. five other league opponents every two years.
The new approach means rivalry games like Florida State-Miami (Nov. 11 in Tallahassee), NC State-North Carolina (Nov. 25 in Raleigh) and Virginia-Virginia Tech (Nov. 25 in Charlottesville) remain at the forefront, but Georgia Tech will also travel to Wake Forest for the first time since 2010, Louisville will play Virginia Tech for just the second time since joining the ACC in 2014, and Miami and Boston College, once Big East rivals, will play for just the second time since 2012.
The ACC’s nonconference slate gets off to a rollicking start, too, with North Carolina taking on South Carolina, Virginia facing off against Tennessee, Florida State playing LSU and, in what figures to be one of the most confusing games of the year, Miami (Ohio) travels to Miami (Florida).
ACC teams will go on the road to face off against teams outside the Power 5 six times in 2023. The league played 10 road games outside the Power 5 last year, losing three. Commissioner Jim Phillips has strongly recommended league teams cease this scheduling philosophy, as it risks repetitional cachet in favor of saving money.
The ACC continues its annual showcase games against Notre Dame as well. The Irish will head to NC State on Sept. 9, play at Duke on Sept. 30 and Louisville on Oct. 7, host Pitt on Oct. 28, travel to Clemson on Nov. 4 and host Wake Forest on Nov. 18. The Irish typically play five games per year against the ACC, but played just four last season and have an extra date in 2023 as a result.
Below you’ll find the schedule for all 14 ACC teams as well as analysis from ESPN reporters David Hale and Andrea Adelson.
Game you’re most looking forward to?
Hale: Florida State and Clemson should both be highly ranked when they face off, which makes that the obvious answer, but I’m more excited about a few games that come with huge storylines and have nothing to do with the standings. Thanks to the transfer portal, there are some, shall we say … awkward dates on the calendar at a few places. Boston College goes to Pitt on Nov. 16, where the Eagles will likely face off against their former QB, Phil Jurkovec. Virginia hosts former QB Brennan Armstrong when NC State comes to town on Sept. 22. But, of course, none of those portal-related grudge matches looms larger than Wake Forest’s trip to South Bend to take on Sam Hartman and the Fighting Irish on Nov. 18. Hartman took Wake to an ACC championship game in 2021 and left the school after five years as the ACC’s all-time leader in passing touchdowns. He has been synonymous with Wake Forest, and a date with the Deacons will no doubt be incredibly emotional for both parties.
Adelson: Florida State-Clemson is the obvious answer because far more should be at stake when they play this year with expectations they will be the conference’s top-ranked teams. The game comes in Week 4 — Sept. 23 — the first time these teams will play in September since 2014. That also happens to be the last time Florida State beat Clemson. Conference championship game implications (and the College Football Playoff) could be on the line, but remember there are no more divisions. So these two teams could play again in December in the conference title game, which, perhaps is part of the appeal in scheduling this game so early in the season.
Toughest stretch
Adelson: You could say Virginia has the toughest schedule of any ACC team, but let’s look at the first four games in particular. The Cavaliers have two difficult Power 5 nonconference games, the opener against Tennessee and a road game against Maryland. Sandwiched in between is James Madison, which went 8-3 a year ago. After that, Virginia opens ACC play against NC State on a Friday night. So, in total, the first four opponents on the schedule went a combined 35-15. North Carolina does not have it easy to start the season, either, with games against South Carolina, Appalachian State, Minnesota and Pitt. Then there is Syracuse, which hosts Clemson on Sept. 30 before going on the road to play North Carolina and Florida State.
Hale: Wake Forest has had a habit of getting off to hot starts only to struggle to the finish line, and the 2023 schedule certainly sets up for more of the same. Yes, there’s the big road trip to Clemson that provides the year’s biggest hurdle on Oct. 7, but it’s the final stretch that really raises some alarms. Wake hosts Pitt and Florida State, travels to Duke on short rest for a Thursday night affair, hosts NC State and then goes to Notre Dame. That’s five straight opponents who won at least eight games last season. The good news for Wake is it’ll have a soft open to the schedule to get a new QB ready for the grind ahead. The bad news is, there’s really nowhere to hide once the calendar turns to October.
Who needs a fast start?
Hale: Miami’s first five games set up nicely. The Hurricanes get Miami (Ohio), Texas A&M and Bethune-Cookman at home, then go on the road to face Temple before an off week and a home game against Georgia Tech. Of that group, only the Redhawks made a bowl last season. If the Hurricanes are going to blossom into a real contender under coach Mario Cristobal, they’ll need to be at least 4-1 — and their fans are probably thinking 5-0 — heading into a Week 7 trip to Chapel Hill. But that might be easier said than done. It was just a year ago when Miami laid an egg against the inept Aggies before getting blown out at home by Middle Tennessee. The shine hasn’t worn off the Cristobal hire just yet, but after serious changes to both the staff and roster, it’s unlikely Miami fans will tolerate another bad start.
Adelson: Miami is the easy answer here, but I will go with another second-year coach in Brent Pry at Virginia Tech. No one was thrilled in Blacksburg a year ago with a 3-8 record. The open to the schedule will offer opportunities to show things are different, though, starting with Old Dominion, a team that beat Virginia Tech a year ago. Then come two Big Ten teams, Purdue, under a new coaching staff, and Rutgers. Perhaps even bigger is going on the road against Marshall, because if anything, Pry must show this team can go on the road and beat a Group of 5 team after what happened in 2022.
Sept. 2: Northern Illinois
Sept. 9: Holy Cross
Sept. 16: Florida State
Sept. 23: at Louisville
Sept. 30: Virginia
Oct. 7: at Army
Oct. 14: Open
Oct. 21: at Georgia Tech
Oct. 28: UConn
Nov. 3: at Syracuse
Nov. 11: Virginia Tech
Nov. 16: at Pitt
Nov. 24: Miami
Sept. 4: at Duke
Sept. 9: Charleston Southern
Sept. 16: Florida Atlantic
Sept. 23: Florida State
Sept. 30: at Syracuse
Oct. 7: Wake Forest
Oct. 14: Open
Oct. 21: at Miami
Nov. 4: Notre Dame
Nov. 11: Georgia Tech
Nov. 18: North Carolina
Nov. 25: at South Carolina
Sept. 4: Clemson
Sept. 9: Lafayette
Sept. 16: Northwestern
Sept. 23: at UConn
Sept. 30: Notre Dame
Oct. 7: Open
Oct. 14: NC State
Oct. 21: at Florida State
Oct. 28: at Louisville
Nov. 2: Wake Forest
Nov. 11: at North Carolina
Nov. 18: at Virginia
Nov. 25: Pitt
Sept. 3: vs. LSU in Orlando
Sept. 9: Southern Miss
Sept. 16: at Boston College
Sept. 23: at Clemson
Sept. 30: Open
Oct. 7: Virginia Tech
Oct. 14: Syracuse
Oct. 21: Duke
Oct. 28: at Wake Forest
Nov. 4: at Pitt
Nov. 11: Miami
Nov. 18: North Alabama
Nov. 25: at Florida
Sept. 1: vs. Louisville in Atlanta
Sept. 9: SC State
Sept. 16: at Ole Miss
Sept. 23: at Wake Forest
Sept. 30: Bowling Green
Oct. 7: at Miami
Oct. 14: Open
Oct. 21: Boston College
Oct. 28: North Carolina
Nov. 4: at Virginia
Nov. 11: at Clemson
Nov. 18: Syracuse
Nov. 25: Georgia
Sept. 1: vs. Georgia Tech in Atlanta
Sept. 7: Murray State
Sept. 16: at Indiana
Sept. 23: Boston College
Sept. 29: at NC State
Oct. 7: Notre Dame
Oct. 14: at Pitt
Oct. 21: Open
Oct. 28: Duke
Nov. 4: Virginia Tech
Nov. 9: Virginia
Nov. 18: at Miami
Nov. 25: Kentucky
Sept. 1: Miami (Ohio)
Sept. 9: Texas A&M
Sept. 14: Bethune-Cookman
Sept. 23: at Temple
Sept. 30: Open
Oct. 7: Georgia Tech
Oct. 14: at North Carolina
Oct. 21: Clemson
Oct. 28: Virginia
Nov. 4: at NC State
Nov. 11: at Florida State
Nov. 18: Louisville
Nov. 24: at Boston College
Sept. 2: vs. South Carolina in Charlotte
Sept. 9: Appalachian State
Sept. 16: Minnesota
Sept. 23: at Pitt
Sept. 30: Open
Oct. 7: Syracuse
Oct. 14: Miami
Oct. 21: Virginia
Oct. 28: at Georgia Tech
Nov. 4: Campbell
Nov. 11: Duke
Nov. 18: at Clemson
Nov. 25: at NC State
Sept. 2: at UConn
Sept. 9: Notre Dame
Sept. 16: VMI
Sept. 22: at Virginia
Sept. 29: Louisville
Oct. 7: Marshall
Oct. 14: at Duke
Oct. 21: Open
Oct. 28: Clemson
Nov. 4: Miami
Nov. 11: at Wake Forest
Nov. 18: at Virginia Tech
Nov. 25: North Carolina
Sept. 2: Wofford
Sept. 9: Cincinnati
Sept. 16: at West Virginia
Sept. 23: North Carolina
Sept. 30: at Virginia Tech
Oct. 7: Open
Oct. 14: Louisville
Oct. 21: at Wake Forest
Oct. 28: at Notre Dame
Nov. 4: Florida State
Nov. 11: vs. Syracuse in New York
Nov. 16: Boston College
Nov. 25: at Duke
Sept. 2: Colgate
Sept. 9: Western Michigan
Sept. 16: at Purdue
Sept. 23: Army
Sept. 30: Clemson
Oct. 7: at North Carolina
Oct. 14: at Florida State
Oct. 21: Open
Oct. 26: at Virginia Tech
Nov. 3: Boston College
Nov. 11: vs. Pitt in New York
Nov. 18: at Georgia Tech
Nov. 25: Wake Forest
Sept. 2: vs. Tennessee in Nashville
Sept. 9: James Madison
Sept. 16: at Maryland
Sept. 22: NC State
Sept. 30: at Boston College
Oct. 7: William & Mary
Oct. 14: Open
Oct. 21: at North Carolina
Oct. 28: at Miami
Nov. 4: Georgia Tech
Nov. 9: at Louisville
Nov. 18: Duke
Nov. 25: Virginia Tech
Sept. 2: Old Dominion
Sept. 9: Purdue
Sept. 16: at Rutgers
Sept. 23: at Marshall
Sept. 30: Pitt
Oct. 7: at Florida State
Oct. 14: Wake Forest
Oct. 21: Open
Oct. 26: Syracuse
Nov. 4: at Louisville
Nov. 11: at Boston College
Nov. 18: NC State
Nov. 25: at Virginia
Aug. 31: Elon
Sept. 9: Vanderbilt
Sept. 16: at Old Dominion
Sept. 23: Georgia Tech
Sept. 30: Open
Oct. 7: at Clemson
Oct. 14: at Virginia Tech
Oct. 21: Pitt
Oct. 28: Florida State
Nov. 2: at Duke
Nov. 11: NC State
Nov. 18: at Notre Dame
Nov. 25: at Syracuse
The 2025 MLB All-Star Home Run Derby is fast approaching — and the field is set.
Braves hometown hero Ronald Acuna Jr. became the first player to commit to the event, which will be held at Truist Park in Atlanta on July 14 (8 p.m. ET on ESPN). He was followed by MLB home run leader Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners, James Wood of the Washington Nationals, Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins, Oneil Cruz of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays, Brent Rooker of the Athletics and Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the New York Yankees.
On Friday, however, Acuna was replaced by teammate Matt Olson.
With all the entrants announced, let’s break down their chances at taking home this year’s Derby prize.
Full All-Star Game coverage: How to watch, schedule, rosters, more
2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 434 feet
Why he could win: Olson is a late replacement for Acuna as the home team’s representative at this year’s Derby. Apart from being the Braves’ first baseman, however, Olson also was born in Atlanta and grew up a Braves fan, giving him some extra motivation. The left-handed slugger led the majors in home runs in 2023 — his 54 round-trippers that season also set a franchise record — and he remains among the best in the game when it comes to exit velo and hard-hit rate.
Why he might not: The home-field advantage can also be a detriment if a player gets too hyped up in the first round. See Julio Rodriguez in Seattle in 2023, when he had a monster first round, with 41 home runs, but then tired out in the second round.
2025 home runs: 36 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: It’s the season of Cal! The Mariners’ catcher is having one of the greatest slugging first halves in MLB history, as he’s been crushing mistakes all season . His easy raw power might be tailor-made for the Derby — he ranks in the 87th percentile in average exit velocity and delivers the ball, on average, at the optimal home run launch angle of 23 degrees. His calm demeanor might also be perfect for the contest as he won’t get too amped up.
Why he might not: He’s a catcher — and one who has carried a heavy workload, playing in all but one game this season. This contest is as much about stamina as anything, and whether Raleigh can carry his power through three rounds would be a concern. No catcher has ever won the Derby, with only Ivan Rodriguez back in 2005 even reaching the finals.
2025 home runs: 24 | Longest: 451 feet
Why he could win: He’s big, he’s strong, he’s young, he’s awesome, he might or might not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. This is the perfect opportunity for Wood to show his talent on the national stage, and he wouldn’t be the first young player to star in the Derby. He ranks in the 97th percentile in average exit velocity and 99th percentile in hard-hit rate, so he can still muscle the ball out in BP even if he slightly mishits it. His long arms might be viewed as a detriment, but remember the similarly tall Aaron Judge won in 2017.
Why he might not: His natural swing isn’t a pure uppercut — he has a pretty low average launch angle of just 6.2 degrees — so we’ll see how that plays in a rapid-fire session. In real games, his power is primarily to the opposite field, but in a Home Run Derby you can get more cheapies pulling the ball down the line.
2025 home runs: 20 | Longest: 479 feet
Why he could win: Buxton’s raw power remains as impressive as nearly any hitter in the game. He crushed a 479-foot home run earlier this season and has four others of at least 425 feet. Indeed, his “no doubter” percentage — home runs that would be out of all 30 parks based on distance — is 75%, the highest in the majors among players with more than a dozen home runs. His bat speed ranks in the 89th percentile. In other words, two tools that could translate to a BP lightning show.
Why he might not: Buxton is 31 and the Home Run Derby feels a little more like a younger man’s competition. Teoscar Hernandez did win last year at age 31, but before that, the last winner older than 29 was David Ortiz in 2010, and that was under much different rules than are used now.
2025 home runs: 16 | Longest: 463 feet
Why he could win: If you drew up a short list of players everyone wants to see in the Home Run Derby, Cruz would be near the top. He has the hardest-hit ball of the 2025 season, and the hardest ever tracked by Statcast, a 432-foot missile of a home run with an exit velocity of 122.9 mph. He also crushed a 463-foot home run in Anaheim that soared way beyond the trees in center field. With his elite bat speed — 100th percentile — Cruz has the ability to awe the crowd with a potentially all-time performance.
Why he might not: Like all first-time contestants, can he stay within himself and not get too caught up in the moment? He has a long swing, which will result in some huge blasts, but might not be the most efficient for a contest like this one, where the more swings a hitter can get in before the clock expires, the better.
2025 home runs: 23 | Longest: 425 feet
Why he could win: Although Caminero was one of the most hyped prospects entering 2024, everyone kind of forgot about him heading into this season since he didn’t immediately rip apart the majors as a rookie. In his first full season, however, he has showed off his big-time raw power — giving him a chance to become just the third player to reach 40 home runs in his age-21 season. He has perhaps the quickest bat in the majors, ranking in the 100th percentile in bat speed, and his top exit velocity ranks in the top 15. That could translate to a barrage of home runs.
Why he might not: In game action, Caminero does hit the ball on the ground quite often — in fact, he’s on pace to break Jim Rice’s record for double plays grounded into in a season. If he gets out of rhythm, that could lead to a lot of low line drives during the Derby instead of fly balls that clear the fences.
2025 home runs: 19 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: The Athletics slugger has been one of the top power hitters in the majors for three seasons now and is on his way to a third straight 30-homer season. Rooker has plus bat speed and raw power, but his biggest strength is an optimal average launch angle (19 degrees in 2024, 15 degrees this season) that translates to home runs in game action. That natural swing could be picture perfect for the Home Run Derby. He also wasn’t shy about saying he wanted to participate — and maybe that bodes well for his chances.
Why he might not: Rooker might not have quite the same raw power as some of the other competitors, as he has just one home run longer than 425 feet in 2025. But that’s a little nitpicky, as 11 of his home runs have still gone 400-plus feet. He competed in the college home run derby in Omaha while at Mississippi State in 2016 and finished fourth.
2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 442 feet
Why he could win: Chisholm might not be the most obvious name to participate, given his career high of 24 home runs, but he has belted 17 already in 2025 in his first 61 games after missing some time with an injury. He ranks among the MLB leaders in a couple of home run-related categories, ranking in the 96th percentile in expected slugging percentage and 98th percentile in barrel rate. His raw power might not match that of the other participants, but he’s a dead-pull hitter who has increased his launch angle this season, which might translate well to the Derby, even if he won’t be the guy hitting the longest home runs.
Why he might not: Most of the guys who have won this have been big, powerful sluggers. Chisholm is listed at 5-foot-11, 184 pounds, and you have to go back to Miguel Tejada in 2004 to find the last player under 6 foot to win.
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