ACC revises Duke football schedule because of COVID-19 pandemic

Duke football tight end Noah Gray gets tackled by a host of Notre Dame defender. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
Duke football tight end Noah Gray gets tackled by a host of Notre Dame defender. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

The ACC has officially changed its 2020 football schedule, and the Duke football program has been impacted by the changes.

What was expected has become official as the ACC has implemented a new football schedule for the 2020 season in which its members only play conference foes.

However, there are some significant changes, none of which are bigger than the addition of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to the conference as a full-time member for the 2020 season.

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In what is typically a six-game ACC schedule for the Irish, it will turn into 11 games, and the Irish will have the chance to compete and win the ACC Championship this season.

Duke will make a trip up to South Bend, as previously scheduled, as long as health conditions permit the travel.

The Blue Devils also hit the road to play Georgia Tech, North Carolina State, Syracuse, and Virginia while hosting Boston College, Florida State, North Carolina, Virginia Tech, and Wake Forest.

Commissioner John Swofford also is allowing ACC teams to play one non-conference game against a school that also resides in its state.

Duke has not announced if, when, and where they will play the optional non-conference game as the Blue Devils were supposed to host North Carolina-based schools Elon and Charlotte in September prior to the change in games.

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A week-by-week schedule has not been announced yet by the ACC, but the conference said that will be released in the coming days.

The season is anticipated to begin for ACC teams between September 7-12 with the ACC Championship Game being played at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on either December 12 or 19.

ALSO READ: Handful of Duke stars named to preseason positional watch lists

In its release on Wednesday, the conference also announced fall Olympic sports will begin on September 10.

David Cutcliffe and the Blue Devils are looking to go back to a bowl game after missing the postseason in 2019 following a 5-7 season.