Greensboro, NC – Three Atlantic Coast Conference teams earned spots in the top 25 of the Preseason Associated Press poll, led by Florida State (No. 8) and Clemson (No. 9) in the top 10.
The Seminoles and Tigers were joined by North Carolina, which is No. 21. Pitt, Louisville, Duke and NC State received votes.
The Seminoles are back in the preseason top 10 for the first time since 2017. The Seminoles return 17 starters from a 10-win 2022 team that capped off the season with a 35-32 victory over Oklahoma in the Cheez-It Bowl. Senior quarterback Jordan Travis returns as FSU signal caller as he enters 2023 as one of four active players nationally with at least 5,500 passing yards and 1,700 rushing yards.
Clemson, which recorded its 12th consecutive double-digit win season with an 11-3 finish in 2022, was picked as the ACC preseason favorite in a poll of 176 ACC media members on Aug. 1. The Tigers are coming off their seventh ACC title in the last eight years after knocking off North Carolina in last season’s title game, 39-10.
The Tar Heels are coming off a nine-win season, their most victories since 2015. Quarterback Drake Maye was voted the ACC Preseason Player of the Year after he threw for over 3,800 yards and 35 touchdowns to lead UNC to just its second ACC title game appearance. He became the first ACC player to earn the ACC Player of the Year, ACC Offensive Player of the Year, ACC Rookie of the Year and ACC Offensive Rookie of the Year since Jameis Winston in 2013.
The 2023 ACC football season gets underway on Thursday, Aug. 31, with NC State and Wake Forest opening this year’s slate.
The ACC will be featured throughout the Labor Day Weekend (Aug. 31-Sept. 4) with 12 games over a five-day span. No other league plays across all five days. This is the fifth time in the last seven years the ACC has played over five consecutive days in Week One.
Conference play officially begins on Friday, Sept. 1, when Louisville heads to Georgia Tech for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff on ESPN. Miami begins its season in Coral Gables when it welcomes Miami University for a 7 p.m. kickoff on ACC Network.
Six teams open their respective seasons on Saturday, Sept. 2, beginning with Virginia taking on Tennessee at Nissan Stadium in Nashville. The Cavaliers and Volunteers will be featured on ABC beginning at noon. Boston College takes on Northern Illinois at noon, while Pitt hosts Wofford for a 3:30 p.m. kickoff on ACCN. Syracuse welcomes Colgate at 4 p.m. on ACC Network Extra, while North Carolina heads to Bank of America Stadium to take on South Carolina (7:30 p.m., ABC) for the Duke’s Mayo Classic. The nightcap features Virginia Tech taking on Old Dominion on ACCN.
On Sunday, Sept. 3, a pair of top 10 teams collide when Florida State takes on LSU on Sunday, Sept. 3 in Orlando. The two teams met last season in the Allstate Louisiana Kickoff, as the Seminoles held off the Tigers due to a blocked extra point with no time remaining.
Another ACC showdown closes out the opening weekend when Clemson heads to Duke on Monday, Sept. 4. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. on ESPN.