The Atlantic Coast Conference is reducing its 20-game men’s basketball schedule to 18, giving teams two more spots for marquee nonconference games in a bid to boost a league getting a dwindling haul of NCAA Tournament bids, a person familiar with the decision said Wednesday.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the ACC hasn't officially announced the move, which was first reported by CBS Sports.
The change for this fall comes after commissioner Jim Phillips has been vocal about spending the past two seasons examining the conundrum of the ACC getting fewer bids — down to four this year, its lowest haul since 2013 — despite having teams regularly playing deep into March.