FSU football to play Duke, Wake Forest after ACC reshuffles schedule

Florida State went from three consecutive canceled football games due to COVID-19 issues and the threat of not playing again this season to facing Duke and Wake Forest during back-to-back weeks.

The Seminoles benefitted from a round of dramatic scheduling changes by the ACC after the league announced in order to “preserve the integrity of the ACC Championship Game,” it will evaluate the three teams in contention for the title (Clemson, Miami and Notre Dame) based on a nine-game conference schedule.

As a result, Clemson and Notre Dame will conclude their seasons Saturday. The Irish have locked in an ACC Championship Game bid and the Tigers can clinch one with a win. Miami would need a Clemson loss and to sweep its remaining games to slide into the title game.

The scheduling changes make it more likely the ACC champion will be a strong contender for a College Football Playoff semifinal bid, avoiding potential upsets by teams in the middle of the ACC pack.

The ACC provided its remaining teams with opportunities to keep playing, assigning FSU a home contest against Duke on Dec. 12 and a road game versus Wake Forest on Dec. 19.

The Florida State football game against Duke scheduled for Saturday has been canceled by the ACC, which adjusted the calendar to squeeze in games postponed due to COVID-19 that could be relevant to the league championship game matchup.

“We appreciate the hard work the ACC and our television partners have put in to re-format a schedule that tries to address a myriad needs shared by all our football programs,” FSU athletics director David Coburn said in a news release. “All teams in the league have made sacrifices and adjustments for the overall good of the conference.

“I know our coaches and football team are happy that they can play two conference games. We are pleased to be hosting Duke in Doak Campbell Stadium, and we appreciate the opportunity to play Wake Forest on Dec. 19. We understand the impact of one less home game, and we will be in touch with ticket holders soon regarding ticket options.”

The Seminoles haven’t played since Nov. 14 after concerns about COVID-19 exposure forced the postponement of their game against Clemson (Nov. 21) and Virginia (Nov. 28). The ACC stepped in and canceled Saturday’s game against Duke, matching the Blue Devils up against Miami.

FSU postponed its game against Clemson two weeks ago because the Tigers practiced and traveled with a player who tested positive for COVID-19. On Saturday, the Seminoles were forced to call off the game with Virginia because the team didn’t have enough players available due to COVID-19 test results, contact tracing, injuries and opt-outs.

Florida State cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. announced he is declaring for the 2021 NFL draft.

Clemson and Virginia coaches said they have no desire to reschedule their games against FSU.

The ACC also announced Tuesday it was making an adjustment to its testing procedures, requiring each team to have PCR tests administered Thursday with results prior to the visiting team traveling to the game locale. The Chief Medical Officers from each team will confirm the results and attest that every expectation has been met to play the games.

The change was made in response to FSU twice canceling a contest the morning of a game because the results of tests taken Friday were not available until Saturday.