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ACC Football Strength of Schedule Rankings 2026: Spring
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- ACC Football Strength of Schedule Rankings 2026: Spring
The ACC schedules will almost certainly be among the easiest of the Power Four conferences, but there are a few key components.
There's as much disparity among the hard and easy schedules as any league.
Do you get the bad luck of having to deal with the part-time ACC team Notre Dame on the schedule? Do you have to play Miami, or not?
Will Florida State be better, and can Duke and Virginia do that again?
Nov 29, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi (left) reacts to line judge Josiah Ford (right) during the third quarter against the Miami Hurricanes at Acrisure Stadium. © Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
2026 ACC Football Strength of Schedule Rankings: All 17 Teams - and Notre Dame -From Toughest to Easiest
How did we do the ranking of all of the ACC teams?
We base it all on our CFN spring ranking of all 138 teams
. The ranking counts for points towards a home game, and cut in half for a road trip.
So a home game against NC State counts as 44 points, and a date in Raleigh is 22. The lower the score, the harder the schedule.
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Quick Look: ACC Schedule Strength at a Glance
Toughest: Stanford, North Carolina, Syracuse
Easiest: SMU, NC State, Virginia
Biggest Non-Conference Game: Miami at Notre Dame, Nov. 7 (okay, so that is, sort of, an ACC game)
Biggest ACC Game: Miami at Clemson, Oct. 3
- Spring Schedule Rankings 1 to 138
1 Stanford
CFN Spring Schedule Rank: 459.5
The Cardinal get Notre Dame and Miami, but the road trip to Cal brings down the Schedule Rank score a bit, and even with the team's overhaul, there aren't too many teams they won't have a chance against.
1 Oct 10 at Notre Dame 2
2 Sept 4 Miami 7
3 Nov 14 at Virginia Tech 18.5
4 Oct 31 at Louisville 19
5 Oct 3 at Wake Forest 23.5
6 Nov 21 at Cal 24
7 Sept 19 at Duke 26.5
8 Nov 28 SMU 36
9 Sept 26 Georgia Tech 40
10 Oct 24 NC State 44
11 Aug 29 Hawaii 80
12 Oct 17 Elon 139
- 2026 Stanford Schedule Analysis
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2 North Carolina
CFN Spring Schedule Rank: 464.5
Going to Duke and Virginia - the two teams that played for the ACC Championship - and dealing with Miami, Notre Dame, and a trip to Clemson will all be made worse after starting the season with a trip to Ireland against TCU.
1 Oct 3 Notre Dame 4
2 Oct 31 Miami 7
3 Oct 10 at Pitt 15.5
4 Sept 19 at Clemson 20.5
5 Nov 21 at Virginia 23
6 Oct 17 at Duke 26.5
7 Aug 29 TCU (in Dublin) 33
8 Nov 14 Louisville 38
9 Nov 28 NC State 44
10 Nov 7 at UConn 47
11 Oct 24 Syracuse 67
12 Sept 12 ETSU 139
- 2026 North Carolina Schedule Analysis
3 Syracuse
CFN Spring Schedule Rank: 475.5
The Orange have too many road games along with a date against Notre Dame. However, if they can win at home, they can handle the slate.
1 Nov 28 Notre Dame 4
2 Sept 17 at Pitt 15.5
3 Nov 14 at NC State 22
4 Oct 10 at Virginia 23
5 Oct 24 at North Carolina 27
6 Nov 21 at Boston College 35
7 Oct 31 SMU 36
8 Oct 17 Louisville 38
9 Nov 7 Clemson 41
10 Oct 3 at UConn 47
11 Sept 12 Cal 48
12 Sept 5 New Hampshire 139
- 2026 Syracuse Schedule Analysis
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4 Boston College
CFN Spring Schedule Rank: 476.5
Does someone not like the Eagles? The six tough road games all but guarantee a losing season without a ton of luck, and the home dates aren't layups.
1 Nov 14 at Notre Dame 2
2 Nov 28 at Miami 3.5
3 Oct 3 at SMU 18
4 Oct 24 at Georgia Tech 20
5 Sept 5 at Cincinnati 25.5
6 Oct 31 at Duke 26.5
7 Oct 17 Pitt 31
8 Sept 26 Virginia Tech 37
9 Nov 7 Florida State 43
10 Sept 11 Rutgers 64
11 Nov 21 Syracuse 67
12 Sept 19 Maine 139
- 2026 Boston College Schedule Analysis
5 Clemson
CFN Spring Schedule Rank: 492.5
Is Clemson any good? It had better build back in a hurry with a schedule full of top-heavy matchups, but the home games should keep the season from being a disaster.
1 Sept 5 at LSU 3
2 Oct 3 Miami 7
3 Nov 28 South Carolina 21
4 Oct 31 at Florida State 21.5
5 Sept 26 at Cal 24
6 Nov 21 at Duke 26.5
7 Nov 7 at Syracuse 33.5
8 Oct 24 Virginia Tech 37
9 Nov 14 Georgia Tech 40
10 Sept 19 North Carolina 54
11 Sept 12 Georgia Southern 86
12 Oct 17 Charleston Southern 139
- 2026 Clemson Schedule Analysis
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6 Louisville
CFN Spring Schedule Rank: 502.5
The schedule isn't that bad, especially if the Cardinals can pull off an upset over Ole Miss to start the season. Not playing Miami makes things a lot better.
1 Sept 5 Ole Miss (in Nashville) 13
2 Nov 7 at Georgia Tech 20
3 Oct 3 at NC State 22
4 Nov 28 at Kentucky 26
5 Nov 14 at North Carolina 27
6 Nov 21 Pitt 31
7 Oct 17 at Syracuse 33.5
8 Sept 19 SMU 36
9 Oct 9 Florida State 43
10 Sept 26 Wake Forest 47
11 Oct 31 Stanford 65
12 Sept. 11 Villanova 139
- 2026 Louisville Schedule Analysis
7 Cal
CFN Spring Schedule Rank: 517.5
Miami, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, and Duke - Cal and new head coach Tosh Lupoi miss all of them. It's a schedule without a 100% certain loss.
1 Oct 24 at SMU 18
2 Oct 31 at NC State 22
3 Nov 14 at Virginia 23
4 Sept 5 UCLA 25
5 Nov 28 Pitt 31
6 Sept 12 at Syracuse 33.5
7 Oct 3 at UNLV 36
8 Oct 10 Virginia Tech 37
9 Sept 26 Clemson 41
10 Oct 17 Wake Forest 47
11 Nov 21 Stanford 65
12 Sept 19 Wagner 139
- 2026 Cal Schedule Analysis
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8 Georgia Tech
CFN Spring Schedule Rank: 528.5
Yikes. Georgia, Clemson, and a road trip to Palo Alto to face Stanford. There's a lot not to like. So why isn't the schedule ranked tougher? There are a lot of winnable home games, and the date against Tennessee is undervalued.
1 Nov 28 at Georgia 2.5
2 Oct 31 at Pitt 15.5
3 Oct 17 at Virginia Tech 18.5
4 Nov 14 at Clemson 20.5
5 Sept 12 Tennessee 30
6 Sept 26 at Stanford 32.5
7 Nov 7 Louisville 38
8 Nov 21 Wake Forest 47
9 Oct 10 Duke 53
10 Sept 5 Colorado 62
11 Oct 24 Boston College 70
12 Sept 19 Mercer 139
- 2026 Georgia Tech Schedule Analysis
9 Notre Dame
CFN Spring Schedule Rank: 529.5
Again, the Irish are included here because of all of their games as a partial football member of the ACC. Going to BYU is sneaky-bad, and facing Wisconsin in Green Bay, and Miami and Michigan State in South Bend, will bring the tests.
1 Nov 7 Miami 7
2 Oct 17 at BYU 7.5
3 Oct 3 at North Carolina 27
4 Sept 26 at Purdue 31.5
5 Oct 31 at Navy (in Foxborough) 33
6 Nov 28 at Syracuse 33.5
7 Nov 21 SMU 36
8 Sept 6 Wisconsin (in Green Bay) 45
9 Sept 19 Michigan State 55
10 Oct 10 Stanford 65
11 Nov 14 Boston College 70
12 Sept 12 Rice 119
- 2026 Notre Dame Schedule Analysis
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10 Florida State
CFN Spring Schedule Rank: 541.5
If the Seminoles can get back up to speed, the schedule should help - at least outside of the road games against Miami and Alabama. They have got
to own the home games against Florida, Clemson, and SMU.
1 Oct 17 at Miami 3.5
2 Sept 19 at Alabama 5.5
3 Nov 14 at Pitt 15.5
4 Oct 9 at Louisville 19
5 Nov 28 Florida 26
6 Nov 7 at Boston College 35
7 Sept 5 SMU 36
8 Oct 31 Clemson 41
9 Nov 21 NC State 44
10 Oct 3 Virginia 46
11 Aug 29 New Mexico State 131
12 Sept 26 Central Arkansas 139
- 2026 Florida State Schedule Analysis
11 Duke
CFN Spring Schedule Rank: 548
The defending ACC champs have to go to Miami and Illinois, and that's just part of the problem. Games against some of the projected weakest ACC teams, and Tulane and William & Mary, will help.
1 Nov 14 at Miami 3.5
2 Sept 12 at Illinois 14
3 Oct 10 at Georgia Tech 20
4 Nov 7 at NC State 22
5 Oct 24 at Virginia 23
6 Nov 28 at Wake Forest 23.5
7 Nov 21 Clemson 41
8 Oct 17 North Carolina 54
9 Sept 19 Stanford 65
10 Oct 31 Boston College 70
11 Sept 5 Tulane 73
12 Sept 26 William & Mary 139
- 2026 Duke Schedule Analysis
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12 Virginia Tech
CFN Spring Schedule Rank: 559.5
The top road games will make this a trying first season for James Franklin, but if the team is as good as we think it'll be - with all of the Penn State transfers - the overall slate isn't horrible.
1 Nov 20 at Miami 3.5
2 Nov 7 at SMU 18
3 Oct 24 at Clemson 20.5
4 Oct 10 at Cal 24
5 Sept 19 at Maryland 29.5
6 Oct 2 Pitt 31
7 Sept 26 at Boston College 35
8 Oct 17 Georgia Tech 40
9 Nov 28 Virginia 46
10 Nov 14 Stanford 65
11 Sept 12 Old Dominion 108
12 Sept 5 VMI 139
- 2026 Virginia Tech Schedule Analysis
13 Wake Forest
CFN Spring Schedule Rank: 572.5
The ACC road games aren't fun, and going to Purdue isn't a sure thing, but there should be enough winnable games with this slate to go bowling.
1 Sept 18 Miami 7
2 Nov 14 at SMU 18
3 Sept 26 at Louisville 19
4 Nov 21 at Georgia Tech 20
5 Oct 10 at NC State 22
6 Oct 17 at Cal 24
7 Sept 12 at Purdue 31.5
8 Oct 31 Virginia 46
9 Nov 28 Duke 53
10 Oct 3 Stanford 65
11 Sept 3 Akron 128
12 Nov 7 Merrimack 139
- 2026 Wake Forest Schedule Analysis
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14 Miami
CFN Spring Schedule Rank: 579.5
At Notre Dame, at Clemson. On paper, that would all but end any hopes of a great season with those two games alone, but the Hurricanes will likely be double-digit favorites against everyone else.
1 Nov 7 at Notre Dame 2
2 Oct 3 at Clemson 20.5
3 Sept 18 at Wake Forest 23.5
4 Oct 31 at North Carolina 27
5 Oct 24 Pitt 31
6 Sept 4 at Stanford 32.5
7 Nov 20 Virginia Tech 37
8 Oct 17 Florida State 43
9 Nov 14 Duke 53
10 Nov 28 Boston College 70
11 Sept 26 Central Michigan 101
12 Sept 10 Florida A&M 139
- 2026 Miami Schedule Analysis
15 Pitt
CFN Spring Schedule Rank: 600
Pitt has the talent and experience to be in the ACC title mix until the end, but going to Miami and Louisville, and having to travel to Cal, won't make that easy. The seven home games are winnable.
1 Oct 24 at Miami 3.5
2 Oct 2 at Virginia Tech 18.5
3 Nov 21 at Louisville 19
4 Nov 28 at Cal 24
5 Oct 17 at Boston College 35
6 Oct 31 Georgia Tech 40
7 Nov 13 Florida State 43
8 Oct 10 North Carolina 54
9 Sept 12 UCF 60
10 Sept 19 Syracuse 67
11 Sept 5 Miami University 97
12 Sept 26 Bryant 139
- 2026 Pitt Schedule Analysis
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16 SMU
CFN Spring Schedule Rank: 625.5
There's a problem if Florida State is good - there are already road games against Notre Dame and Louisville - and having to travel to Stanford hurts, but there's no Clemson, Miami, Georgia Tech, NC State, or Pitt.
1 Nov 21 at Notre Dame 2
2 Sept 19 at Louisville 19
3 Sept 7 at Florida State 21.5
4 Nov 28 at Stanford 32.5
5 Oct 31 at Syracuse 33.5
6 Nov 7 Virginia Tech 37
7 Oct 17 Virginia 46
8 Nov 14 Wake Forest 47
9 Oct 24 Cal 48
10 Oct 3 Boston College 70
11 Sept 26 Missouri State 130
12 Sept 12 UC Davis 139
- 2026 SMU Schedule Analysis
17 NC State
CFN Spring Schedule Rank: 656.5
There's no complaining about the schedule, considering that technically, three of the four hardest games are against teams that didn't go bowling. The Wolfpack have to own the home schedule.
1 Sept 19 at Vanderbilt 17.5
2 Nov 21 at Florida State 21.5
3 Nov 28 at North Carolina 27
4 Oct 24 at Stanford 32.5
5 Oct 3 Louisville 38
6 Aug 29 Virginia (in Brazil) 46
7 Oct 10 Wake Forest 47
8 Oct 31 Cal 48
9 Nov 7 Duke 53
10 Nov 14 Syracuse 67
11 Sept 26 App State 120
12 Sept 12 Richmond 139
- 2026 NC State Schedule Analysis
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18 Virginia
CFN Spring Schedule Rank: 664.5
If you're hoping for a second straight great season for the Cavaliers, here you go. Michigan, Clemson, Pitt, Louisville, and Georgia Tech - all are missing, as is Notre Dame.
1 Oct 17 at SMU 18
2 Nov 28 at Virginia Tech 18.5
3 Oct 3 at Florida State 21.5
4 Oct 31 at Wake Forest 23.5
5 Aug 29 NC State (in Brazil) 44
6 Nov 14 Cal 48
7 Oct 24 Duke 53
8 Nov 21 North Carolina 54
9 Sept 19 West Virginia (in Charlotte) 56
10 Oct 10 Syracuse 67
11 Sept 26 Delaware 122
12 Sept 12 Norfolk State 139
- 2026 Virginia Schedule Analysis
Related: Big 12 Football Strength of Schedule Rankings 2026: Spring
This story was originally published by College Football News on Apr 1, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add College Football News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
