The ACC schedule has been released for some time now, and as we gear toward the college basketball season, it's time for us to take a look at some of the most anticipated matchups this season.
Before we dive in, let's take note of some of the changes to the ACC conference schedule.
For the first time since the 2018-19 season, the ACC is returning to an 18-game conference schedule. Previously, the ACC played 20 conference games.
Secondly, not every team will play each other. The reason for this is so that the ACC can preserve a second home-and-home matchup.
I'd also like to note that I won't be including any matchup between Duke, UNC, or NC State. We all know that these rivalries are prime-time matchups, especially with the rise of NC State in the past few years.
Also, these are in no particular order.
So, with that being said, let's dive into the top conference games in the ACC.
1. Louisville at Duke (January 26th)
A battle between who most believe will be the top two teams in the ACC this year takes place on January 26th in Cameron Indoor Stadium as the Louisville Cardinals matchup with the Duke Blue Devils.
This will be the second matchup between these two teams, and the reason I chose this game over their game on January 6th is if Louisville head coach Pat Kelsey wants to take the Cardinals program to the heights he desires, winning in Cameron Indoor is a great step.
Louisville is 3-7 in its last 10 matchups with Duke and has lost seven in a row to the Blue Devils. Flipping that script will be a giant part of Kelsey getting this Louisville program back to what it used to be.
This matchup will have it all. There's top freshman talent, veteran returners, and whichever team loses the first game will be looking for revenge.
Mark this game on your calendar, you won't want to miss it.
2. North Carolina at Miami (February 2nd)
While this matchup might not be between two top-level programs like Duke-Louisville, this will be Miami head coach Jai Lucas's first test against one of the premier programs in the ACC.
Lucas left Duke as an associate head coach to be the head coach at Miami. He is one of the top recruiters in the country and had the chance this offseason to rebuild a roster that desperately needed it.
He brought in Michigan guard Tre Donaldson, Indiana forward Malik Reneau, and top-25 freshman Shelton Henderson. Henderson was originally committed to Duke, but flipped his commitment to Miami to follow Lucas.
The biggest reason I'm looking forward to this matchup: Henderson will face off against top-5 recruit Caleb Wilson. Wilson was UNC's highest-rated recruit coming in and has big expectations in his first season with the Tar Heels.
3. Syracuse at NC State (January 27th)
Will Wade took over as the head coach for NC State this offseason, and he did a masterful job with flipping this roster over. This NC State team won't have a single returner in its starting lineup.
While NC State will have to play Duke and UNC in the latter half of its ACC schedule, Will Wade's first test in the ACC will come on January 27th versus Syracuse.
Some of you are probably thinking that Syracuse won't be a real test, but I believe they had one of the most slept-on offseasons of any team in the country, let alone the ACC.
They bring in two top freshmen in Sadiq White and Kiyan Anthony.They return JJ Starling, who averaged almost 18 PPG last year, and Donnie Freeman, who gave them 13.4 PPG and 7.9 RPG last year
They also bring in Georgia Tech transfer Naithan George. They are primed to make the tournament for the first time since 2021.
This matchup should be another great one in the ACC.
4. Virginia at NC State (January 3rd)
Ryan Odom will be in his first season as the head coach at Virginia, and the man has a proven track record of success. He took UMBC, Utah State, and VCU all to the NCAA Tournament in his second season as head coach. While we're a year off, I believe Odom will have that same impact on Virginia in his first season.
Virginia isn't returning a single significant contributor from its roster last season. Odom dove into the portal heavily, as well as bringing in lots of international talent.
Thijs De Ridder and Johann Grünloh are both projected to be starters for Virginia after playing overseas. Odom also brought in the leading scorer from the WCC in Malik Thomas, who averaged almost 20 PPG last year at the University of San Francisco.
Similar to my reasoning above for NC State, this will be Virginia's second conference game this year and will be a great test to see how legit the Cavaliers are.
Does this matchup guarantee an all-time game? I'd say no, but what it does provide is a general outlook on who the top teams in the ACC are this next year.
5. Virginia at Duke (February 28th)
Duke ends its ACC conference play by hosting Virginia, going on the road against NC State, and hosting UNC.
It will be a huge stretch for the Blue Devils as they will look to end the season with huge victories going into the ACC Tournament. The first stop in this three-game stretch is Virginia.
By the time this game comes around, we'll know exactly who the Blue Devils and Cavaliers are. It's a huge chance for Virginia to add a great win to its resume and maybe stamp its ticket to an NCAA Tournament bid.
I expect the Cavaliers to treat this game like a do-or-die game, and Duke will be prepping for two games against its rivals.
If Virginia is the team I believe they will be, this matchup will be nothing short of fireworks.
The ACC once again looks loaded with compelling matchups from top to bottom. Whether it’s new faces in charge or fresh rivalries brewing, the 2025-26 season promises plenty of drama from January through March.