Boston College arrived in the ACC in 2005 as a geographical outlier to the southern-based league. It left its traditional rivals behind in the Big East and accepted an invitation to create new matchups against schools that didn't have much exposure to the New England college football landscape. It was the first step for realignment, but it required BC's success in order to chart a new path of creating nationally-based leagues.
The first conference game that year received a substantial national spotlight, and the opponent, Florida State, helped provide a dramatic, star-powered flair. Both teams had been nationally-ranked, and ESPN College GameDay's traveling stage riled up a sellout Alumni Stadium crowd.