For the first time since 2008, the Atlantic Coast Conference will play its championship football game in the noon Saturday window on championship weekend — a move that will put the conference front and center for its TV window after years of competing with the Big Ten for evening viewership.
The announcement of the title game’s move from its usual 8 p.m. ET time slot was part of the ACC’s 2026 schedule release Monday, which also included details on a busy opening weekend that will include games spread out over at least four days, along with a pair of international contests scheduled for Week 0.
The ACC’s shift in championship game schedule comes as part of a drive to add more viewers to the game and draw more fans to Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. In the noon window, the ACC will be the lone Power 4 conference playing at the time, kicking off a Saturday slate of title games…