ACC reveals new tiebreakers for 2026 football season

Jul 16, 2026 - 03:50

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ACC reveals new tiebreakers for 2026 football season

MIAMI GARDENS, FL - SEPTEMBER 27: Virginia Tech wide receiver Da'Quan Felton (9) catches the ball in the end zone along with Miami defensive back Tyler Rowe (43) and Miami defensive back Mishael Powell (0), the initial game winning touchdown call was overturned and ruled an incomplete pass during the college football game between the Virginia Tech Hokies and the University of Miami Hurricanes on September 27, 2024 at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, FL. (Photo by Doug Murray/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Every ACC team is in Charlotte, North Carolina, this week for the 2026 version of the ACC Kickoff. Each team is represented by the head coach and three players. The Virginia Tech Hokies are represented by senior defensive tackle Kemari Copeland, senior defensive back Tyson Flowers and senior running back Marcellous Hawkins.

The Virginia Tech contingent will meet with the media on Thursday morning. But there was some news on Tuesday.

Remember last season’s wild five-way tie atop the league? Duke, Miami, Pittsburgh, Georgia Tech and SMU all finished 6-2, while Virginia went 7-1. Ultimately, Duke prevailed, defeating Virginia in the ACC Championship to win the league. However, Miami would represent the ACC in the College Football Playoff and almost won the national championship.

It was a mess. The ACC was the laughingstock of college football — again. And it was undeserved, considering the league was pretty good last season. So, this offseason, the ACC planned to do whatever it could to avoid a similar situation in 2026.

The league revealed a new tiebreaker format:

Head-to-head results will always matter most.
No team will be overly rewarded or penalized based on the number of conference games it played.
When head-to-head competition cannot separate tied teams, the team with the strongest overall body of work will earn the opportunity to compete for the ACC Championship and the conference’s automatic qualifier to the College Football Playoff.

Head-to-head results should matter the most. And we agree that no team should be rewarded or penalized based upon the number of league games played. However, the third bullet point feels subjective. And that’s not good. What determines the strongest overall body of work? What if three teams are 11-1 and 8-1 in league play? Is the ACC going to take Miami and/or Clemson because, well, they’re Miami and/or Clemson?

The ACC certainly needed to create a tiebreaker to avoid last season’s madness. And, in a perfect world, it will not come down to all three scenarios. But as we know, nothing ever goes as it seems, especially in this conference.