The Atlantic Coast Conference has moved back to an 18-game conference schedule this season for the first time since the 2018-19 campaign. Each ACC school will play two teams twice. One of those two-game series, called the "primary partner," is a series that will happen each season. The other, called the "variable partner," is a two-game skid that will change each season. Duke basketball's primary partner is North Carolina, obviously. Its variable partner for the 2025-26 campaign is Louisville. Obviously, part of this is to raise TV ratings to put the ACC in a better financial position.
ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips doesn't see 18-game conference slate going anywhere
