While scrambling to keep up with the twists and turns of the college football season's first month, ACC fans are always keeping an eye out on the upcoming college basketball season. After the way the league finished last season, with a record six teams in the Sweet 16 and two teams in the Final Four, the ACC will demand the sport's attention early.
The full 2016-17 conference schedule got released on Monday. The conference matchups and non-conference schedules were set, but this finalizes everything. Everyone seems to be excited and pleased across the ACC, everyone except Louisville coach Rick Pitino.
Pitino called Louisville's schedule "one of the toughest any team could encounter" and called out three short turnarounds in the Cards' ACC draw that with travel concerns are "a bit unfair." Louisville was already taking a huge bite this season with an aggressive non-conference schedule, and now the specifics of the conference slate have Pitino dealing with indigestion, apparently.
"Our schedule as planned is one of the toughest any team could encounter," Pitino said. "The league travel is a bit unfair with a 9 p.m. home game on Thursday [Jan. 19 vs. Clemson], followed by a 2 p.m. game at Florida State on Saturday [Jan. 21]. There's also a road game on Saturday afternoon [Feb. 4] at Boston College, then next up traveling to Virginia on Monday [Feb. 6]."
But Pitino wasn't done.
"That's not mentioning our league opening game at home against Virginia [Dec. 28] sandwiched between Kentucky [Dec. 21] and Indiana [Dec. 31], all followed with a game at Notre Dame [Jan. 4]. But that's the ACC. The Battle 4 Atlantis [Nov. 23 vs. Old Dominion], Purdue [Nov. 30] and at Grand Canyon [Dec. 3] -- pass the Pepto Bismol.
"Our saving grace is the attitude and work ethic of this team," Pitino concluded. "We may be unproven and a bit inexperienced, but this group is talented and tenacious. It should be a fun season!"
What made the enthusiasm of the statement even better was its all-caps presentation.
[2017 ACC Schedule: Download from PDF]
The ACC has three teams in the top 10 of Gary Parrish's Top 25 (and one) for 2016-17, led by No. 1 Duke and Coach K's handful of future first round picks. Defending runner-up North Carolina checks in at No. 7 and Virginia, without Malcolm Brogdon but now including star transfer Austin Nichols, is sitting at No. 9. Rick Pitino's Louisville Cardinals, Miami and NC State should all have something to say about the title race as well.