The Atlantic Coast Conference, along with the Southeastern Conference and the Big 12, did not jump the gun when the Big Ten announced it was moving to a conference-only schedule. While the Pac-12 soon followed the Big Ten’s lead, the other three Power 5 conferences have been working hard to maintain some of the biggest rivalries in college football.

Now, according to multiple reports, it appears the decision to hold off may prove to be the right move as the ACC is trending in a direction that maintains the conference schedule and maintains key rivalry games involving several ACC teams.

Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports reported on Thursday evening that the ACC favors a 10-game league schedule featuring an additional game out of the conference. Reading between the lines, that additional game the ACC would keep open for their schools is there so that games such as Florida State vs. Florida, Louisville vs. Kentucky, Georgia Tech vs. Georgia, Clemson vs. South Carolina and UNC vs. Auburn could still be held in 2020.

The three targeted start dates for the ACC, at the moment, are Sept. 12 (originally Week 2 of the schedule), Sept. 19 and Sept. 26.

“Sources: The ACC is discussing scheduling models, with 10 league games and a “plus one” outside the conference as the favorite. The ACC start date is still being debated between September 12, 19 and 26,” Thamel reported on Thursday.

Brett McMurphy of Stadium is reporting the same information but notes that Notre Dame would play 10 ACC games in this scenario and would count as an ACC game for this season.

“ACC’s top scheduling model is 10 league games plus 1 nonconference foe, sources told @Stadium. In this format if Notre Dame plays 10 ACC teams, results would count in ACC standings, sources said. Unknown if ND could earn ACC’s Orange Bowl bid. This needs ACC presidential approval,” McMurphy reported on Friday.

One thing is for sure, the ACC is willing to get creative in order to play the upcoming college football season. We can all be thankful for that.