ACC adopts new tiebreaker after Miami-Duke controversy

The Atlantic Coast Conference has introduced a new tiebreaker system for its football championship, a direct response to the controversial finish last season that saw a five-loss Duke team reach the title game over a higher-ranked Miami squad. The policy, announced by Commissioner Jim Phillips on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, at the ACC Kickoff event in Charlotte, will take effect for the upcoming 2026 season.

The change aims to prevent a repeat of the 2025 scenario, where a five-way tie for second place at 6-2 in conference play forced the league to use its fifth tiebreaker-conference opponent win percentage-to select Duke (7-5 overall) for the championship game against Virginia. Miami, which was 10-2 and ranked No. 12 at the time, was left out. Duke went on to defeat Virginia in overtime to win the ACC title, but neither team made the College Football Playoff. Miami narrowly secured the final at-large bid in the 12-team field and advanced to the national championship game, where the Hurricanes lost to Indiana.

The new tiebreaker procedure is built on three principles: head-to-head results are prioritized; no team will be overly rewarded or penalized based on the number of...