On Thursday night, the ACC held an administrative call, according to The Athletic’s Matt Fortuna, and decided that now is not the time to make decisions about scheduling for football in 2020.

“We’re going to be patient,” Fortuna reported an ACC source saying.

Nevertheless, the Big Ten is already going to a conference-only slate in its attempt to save a fall version of college football. Reports are the Pac-12 is expected to soon follow suit.

The Big Ten’s goal is to have 10 conference games. If the ACC went a similar route, what would NC State’s schedule look like?

Here are some ideas:

Considering the pandemic and the economic implications, a regional approach to scheduling might make the most sense. NC State though already has all three of its fellow in-state conference members on its 2020 slate: home games versus Duke and Wake Forest, and a date on the road at UNC.

Virginia and Virginia Tech would make the most sense to add to the current schedule, but it’s not that simple. Other conference teams would have similar needs, and there’s also partial-ACC member Notre Dame, who will need help filling out its schedule. The Fighting Irish have already lost one game (Wisconsin) and if the Pac-12 goes the route anticipated, two more would fall off (Stanford and USC).

A team-by-team look and proposal goes as follows:

• Boston College is a difficult case because of how far north they are, and they already have Syracuse on the schedule. Pittsburgh is a manageable distance that could be added. Notre Dame is also an attractive option for the Irish given their past rivalry with the Eagles, but it is difficult to make that work in our analysis.

Instead, the best bet in this scenario is Virginia.

• Clemson already has a game against Notre Dame on the books, so it would need to add just one ACC team if the league is going conference-only. One could argue it would be ideal for the SEC and ACC to work out an alliance, which would keep the annual Gamecocks-Clemson game.

Both Duke and UNC are close proximity and available for the Tigers. However, we gave them Miami to make it fit for the rest of the league.

• Duke is another that already had Notre Dame on the schedule, so it would also need just one more game, but it’s not easy finding an addition. It already plays UNC, Wake Forest and NC State this season. Clemson we have given to Miami. Both Virginia schools are also on Duke’s slate, as is Georgia Tech. Thus, the game that may work best is FSU.

• Florida State would need a pair of games, but Georgia Tech would be an easy fit here for one of them. It’s finding a second game that is complicated, but Duke is one of the shortest trips available. Again, an alliance with the SEC would allow the Seminoles to keep Florida.

• Georgia Tech already has Notre Dame, and Florida State would complete a 10-game schedule. Georgia would be an SEC option, if that becomes available.

• Louisville, too, has Notre Dame, so it would need just one more contest. Kentucky from the SEC would also be a potential game if that's preservable.

Pittsburgh could make some sense, but as you will see below we filled up their schedule by giving them Boston College. One of the Virginia schools would work well, but UNC, as you’ll also see below, will need a game, too. So it's the Heels here.

• Miami is a challenge, because like Boston College/Syracuse it is on the extreme geographically in the ACC footprint. Thus, the two best bets proximity-wise are Clemson and NC State, unless an agreement with the SEC would add a potential game against Florida.

• North Carolina can add Wake Forest in an easy move, but the next game is a challenge. Clemson would have made the most sense, but to get to two games for Miami, the Tigers would have to be involved. Thus, for now, it is Louisville.

• NC State, as we noted above, would ideally play both of the Virginia schools, but Miami gets one of the games instead. To make the rest of the schedule fit, we slot Virginia Tech for the other contest.

• Pittsburgh already has a game against Notre Dame, and adding Boston College to their slate gets them to 10.

• Syracuse would get a Notre Dame game, and then, while it's not the most ideal, Virginia Tech makes the next most sense among options.

• Virginia and Virginia Tech probably need to split up Boston College and Syracuse. We've already given BC to Virginia. The Cavs also get the reward of a Notre Dame game.

• Virginia Tech gets to 10 by adding NC State and taking on Syracuse.

• Wake Forest is taken care of by already having Notre Dame and adding UNC.

So a rundown of how it works:

• Boston College adds Virginia (Sept. 12) and Pitt (Sept. 19)

• Clemson adds Miami (Sept. 19)

• Duke adds Florida State (Sept. 12)

• Florida State adds Duke (Sept. 12) and Georgia Tech (Sept. 19)

• Georgia Tech adds Florida State (Sept. 19)

• Louisville adds North Carolina (Sept. 19)

• Miami adds Clemson (Sept. 19) and NC State (Sept. 26)

• NC State adds Miami (Sept. 26) and Virginia Tech (Sept. 12)

• North Carolina adds Wake Forest (Sept. 12) and Louisville (Sept. 19)

• Pittsburgh adds Boston College (Sept. 19)

• Syracuse adds Notre Dame (Oct. 10) and Virginia Tech (Sept. 19)

• Virginia adds Notre Dame (Oct. 24) and Boston College (Sept. 12)

• Virginia Tech adds Syracuse (Sept. 19) and NC State (Sept. 12)

• Wake Forest adds UNC (Sept. 12)

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