First Games Matching ACC Teams, Annually Since Expansion in 2005

Not long ago the scheduling of the first conference games of the season was a source of not very muted dissatisfaction within ACC coaching ranks. Apparently some coaches felt put upon when chosen to be the early combatants or, in their eyes, sacrificial lambs.

Worse, note was taken that the league’s powers, namely Duke and North Carolina, were spared the indignity and inconvenience of batting leadoff after the first few years of expansion.

More recently, ACC openers have come later in the schedule. In fact this is the third time in the past five seasons the turn of the calendar year more or less marks the start of ACC play.

The earliest any intra-league game was played was Dec. 3 in 2007. The preceding year, defying claims of scheduling favoritism, Duke opened on Dec. 4 at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Blue Devils rallied to edge Virginia Tech on a 40-footer at the buzzer by senior Sean Dockery, a nifty playmaker and defender not noted as a shooter.