ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE ANNOUNCES 2009 ACC FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
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Conference Champion to Play in FedEx Orange Bowl on January 5, 2010
Greensboro, NC (www.theacc.com) – The 2009 Atlantic Coast Conference football schedule was released by Commissioner John D. Swofford and is comprised of 96 games, including 48 conference match-ups, over a span of 13 weeks.
The schedule is capped off with the Fifth Annual Dr Pepper Atlantic Coast Conference Football Championship Game, which this year will be played on Dec. 5 in Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL.
The schedule is highlighted by the return of the Miami-Florida State rivalry to Labor Day Monday Night, as the Seminoles will host the Hurricanes at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee on Monday, Sept. 7.
The ACC schedule will also feature six Thursday Night ESPN national TV appearances beginning with the season-opening Thursday night clash with NC State hosting South Carolina on Sept. 3, followed by Clemson at Georgia Tech on Sept. 10; Georgia Tech at Miami on Sept. 17; Florida State at North Carolina on Oct. 22; North Carolina at Virginia Tech on Oct. 29 and Virginia Tech at East Carolina on Nov. 5.
Twenty-four of the league’s 48 non-conference games (50 percent) are against 20 teams that earned bowl berths in 2008 including five games with teams which finished ranked in the nation’s final Top 13 (AP) including defending national champion Florida (Florida State), 5th-ranked Oklahoma (Miami), 6th-ranked Alabama (Virginia Tech), 7th-ranked Texas Christian (Virginia) and 13th-ranked Georgia (Georgia Tech). The ACC will also face two other nationally ranked teams 25th-ranked BYU (Florida State) and California (Maryland), which was ranked 25th in the USA Today Coaches poll.
Non-conference opponents who earned bowl bids this past season are Alabama, BYU, California, Central Michigan (2), Connecticut, East Carolina (2 games), Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Navy, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, South Carolina (2), South Florida (2), Southern Mississippi, TCU and Vanderbilt.
Florida State leads all ACC teams, meeting 11 opponents which played in bowl games in 2008. Boston College, Clemson, NC State, Virginia and Virginia Tech all meet nine teams which went to bowl games last year with the other six ACC teams each facing 8 foes who earned post-season invitations.
Additionally, the ACC will play 16 games against 14 teams who were ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 at some point during the 2008 season.
2009 ACC Composite Schedule:
Thursday, September 3
South Carolina at NC State, ESPN
Saturday, September 5
Northeastern at Boston College
Middle Tennessee at Clemson
Richmond at Duke
Jacksonville State at Georgia Tech
Maryland at California
The Citadel at North Carolina
William & Mary at Virginia
Alabama vs. Virginia Tech (Georgia Dome)
Baylor at Wake Forest
Monday, September 7
Miami at Florida State, ESPN
Thursday, September 10
Clemson at Georgia Tech , ESPN
Saturday, September 12
Kent State at Boston College
Duke at Army
Jacksonville State at Florida State
James Madison at Maryland
North Carolina at Connecticut
Murray State at NC State
TCU at Virginia
Marshall at Virginia Tech
Stanford at Wake Forest
Thursday, September 17
Georgia Tech at Miami, ESPN
Saturday, September 19
Boston College at Clemson
Duke at Kansas
Florida State at BYU
Middle Tennessee at Maryland
East Carolina at North Carolina
Gardner-Webb at NC State
Virginia at Southern Miss
Nebraska at Virginia Tech
Elon at Wake Forest
Saturday, September 26
Wake Forest at Boston College
Central Michigan at Clemson
North Carolina Central at Duke
South Florida at Florida State
North Carolina at Georgia Tech
Rutgers at Maryland
Miami at Virginia Tech
Pittsburgh at NC State
Saturday, October 3
Florida State at Boston College
Clemson at Maryland
Virginia Tech at Duke
Georgia Tech at Mississippi State
Oklahoma at Miami
Virginia at North Carolina
NC State at Wake Forest
Saturday, October 10
Boston College at Virginia Tech
Duke at NC State
Georgia Tech at Florida State
Maryland at Wake Forest
Florida A&M at Miami
Georgia Southern at North Carolina
Indiana at Virginia
Saturday, October 17
NC State at Boston College
Wake Forest at Clemson
Virginia Tech at Georgia Tech
Virginia at Maryland
Miami at Central Florida
Thursday, October 22
Florida State at North Carolina, ESPN
Saturday, October 24
Boston College at Notre Dame
Clemson at Miami
Maryland at Duke
Georgia Tech at Virginia
Wake Forest at Navy
Thursday, October 29
North Carolina at Virginia Tech, ESPN
Saturday, October 31
Central Michigan at Boston College
Coastal Carolina at Clemson
Duke at Virginia
NC State at Florida State
Georgia Tech at Vanderbilt
Miami at Wake Forest
Thursday, November 5
Virginia Tech at East Carolina, ESPN
Saturday, November 7
Florida State at Clemson
Duke at North Carolina
Wake Forest at Georgia Tech
Maryland at NC State
Virginia at Miami
Saturday, November 14
Boston College at Virginia
Clemson at NC State
Georgia Tech at Duke
Florida State at Wake Forest
Virginia Tech at Maryland
Miami at North Carolina
Saturday, November 21
North Carolina at Boston College
Virginia at Clemson
Duke at Miami
Maryland at Florida State
NC State at Virginia Tech
Saturday, November 28
Boston College at Maryland
Clemson at South Carolina
Wake Forest at Duke
Florida State at Florida
Georgia at Georgia Tech
Miami at South Florida
North Carolina at NC State
Virginia Tech at Virginia
Saturday, December 5
Dr Pepper ACC Championship Game
Tampa, FL, ABC
http://www.theacc.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/021209aaa.html
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About the Orange Bowl Committee
The Orange Bowl Committee is a not-for-profit, 330-member, primarily-volunteer organization. It is a self-sustaining, independent organization that supports and produces activities and events that enhance the image, economy and culture of South Florida. The Orange Bowl Festival features a year-round schedule of events culminating with the FedEx Orange Bowl on January 5, 2010. In 2013, the OBC will again double-host both the FedEx Orange Bowl and the BCS National Championship. Other OBC core events include the MetroPCS Orange Bowl Basketball Classic, Orange Bowl Youth Football Alliance, Orange Bowl International Tennis Championships and Orange Bowl Sailing Regatta Series. For more information on the 2009-10 Orange Bowl Festival and its events, including promotional and volunteer opportunities through the Ambassador Program, log on to www.orangebowl.org.