It’s only February, but never too early to think about college football. ESPN has released the early portion of its ACC football schedule and going in the Labor Day primetime slot will be Miami (FL) at Maryland. Virginia Tech is slotted in for two games right now. Florida State has been slotted for one. The games you’ll see with the exception of Miami-Maryland are all scheduled for Thursday night ESPN games. Let’s take a look at what ACC games ESPN has slotted for primetime in 2011.
Labor Day and Thursday Primetime Matchups Highlight Early ACC College Football Selections for 2011
An ESPN Labor Day prime time telecast and marquee matchups on Thursday nights are among the games involving Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) teams slated for ESPN’s 2011 college football schedule. Additional games will be announced. Highlights include:
- ESPN’s Labor Day prime time telecast Monday, Sept. 5, at 8 p.m. will feature a showdown between two ACC programs with head coaches making their team debuts: Miami, led by Al Golden, at Maryland with its new coach Randy Edsall.
- ESPN’s popular Thursday night series — ESPN College Football Primetime – will feature five telecasts involving ACC teams, one more than the 2010 season. All games will kick off at 8 p.m. Highlights:
o Florida State — ranked third in an ESPN.com early pre-season poll for 2011, will visit Boston College Nov. 3. Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher led the Seminoles to a 10-4 record in his debut season last year, the program’s first 10-win season since 2003 and first trip to the conference championship game since 2005.
o Virginia Tech, which finished undefeated in the conference and is ranked No. 22 in an early pre-season ESPN.com poll, will appear in consecutive weeks: Nov. 10 at Georgia Tech followed by a visit from North Carolina Nov. 17.
o Miami will host Virginia Oct. 27 in a rematch of last year’s 24-19 win by Virginia, the only conference victory for the Cavaliers.
The 2011 season marks the first year of a new 12-year agreement between ESPN and the ACCfor exclusive rights to every conference-controlled football and men’s basketball game, plus women’s basketball and Olympic sports matchups, and conference championships. As part of the agreement, ESPN platforms will offer regular-season action on Saturday afternoon and nights, primetime Thursdays, Labor Day Monday and the ACC Football Championship Game.
The 2011 ACC Labor Day and Thursday schedule (additional selections to be announced):
Date Time (ET) Game Network Mon, Sep 5 8 p.m. Miami at Maryland ESPN Thu, Sep 22 8 p.m. North Carolina State at Cincinnati ESPN Thu, Oct 27 8 p.m. Virginia at Miami ESPN Thu, Nov 3 8 p.m. No. 3 Florida State at Boston College ESPN Thu, Nov 10 8 p.m. No. 22 Virginia Tech at Georgia Tech ESPN Thu, Nov 17 8 p.m. North Carolina at No. 22 Virginia Tech ESPN
And that’s it.
