ACC Tournament Brackets 2016: Schedule, Game Times For Conference Tournament


ACC tournament brackets for 2016 have now been revealed. The 2016 ACC tournament schedule begins on Tuesday, March 8, giving fans of the conference a lot to be excited about. North Carolina clinched the top seed in the ACC tournament brackets and receives a nice double-bye until the quarterfinals. A release from the ACC has two games taking place on day one of the tournament, with No. 13 Wake Forest vs. No. 12 North Carolina State at 12 p.m. ET followed by No. 14 Boston College vs. No. 11 Florida State at 2 p.m. ET.

The ACC tournament schedule continues on Wednesday, March 9 with four more games for fans to enjoy. The day begins with No. 8 Pittsburgh vs. No. 9 Syracuse at 12 p.m. ET, followed by No. 5 Duke vs. the NC State/Wake Forest winner at 2 p.m. ET. The late games are No. 7 Clemson vs. No. 10 Georgia Tech at 7 p.m. ET and No. 6 Virginia Tech vs. the winner of Florida State/Boston College at 9 p.m. ET.

Four schools received a double-bye in the 2016 ACC tournament brackets, and they are No. 1 North Carolina, No. 2 Virginia, No. 3 Miami, and No. 4 Notre Dame. Those teams are waiting in the quarterfinals to be played on Thursday, March 10. North Carolina starts day three at 12 p.m. ET against the winner of the Pittsburgh vs. Syracuse game. Notre Dame then plays at 2 p.m. ET against the survivor of Duke, NC State, and Wake Forest. Virginia plays at 7 p.m. ET against the winner of Clemson vs. Georgia Tech, and then Miami plays the survivor of Virginia Tech, Florida State, and Boston College at 9 p.m. ET.

Virginia Is No. 2 in ACC
[Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images]

The ACC semifinals will take place at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. ET on Friday, March 11, leading to the ACC Championship Game at 9 p.m. ET on Saturday, March 12. Heading into the 2016 ACC Tournament, Joe Lunardi at ESPN.com has seven conference teams getting invites to the 2016 NCAA Tournament. That would tie the conference with the Big 12 for most teams receiving invites. The conference also has a good chance at a No. 1 seed with the North Carolina Tar Heels.

The schools in line for invites to the 2016 NCAA Tournament are North Carolina, Miami, Virginia, Duke, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, and Syracuse. Louisville, despite a 23-8 record this year, has been banned from postseason play. Schools like Virginia Tech (18-13), Clemson (17-13), Georgia Tech (18-13), and Florida State (18-12) will have to string together a number of wins in the ACC Tournament in order to earn an invite. This makes it possible for the conference to send eight or even nine teams to the Big Dance.

There is a lot on the line when the 2016 ACC tournament schedule begins March 8, so it’s very likely that most college basketball analysts and the NCAA Selection Committee will be paying close attention to the games. The really important match-ups begin on March 9 for the ACC, starting with the early game of Pittsburgh vs. Syracuse. Both schools know how important it is to win that game and earn a chance to play No. 1 North Carolina in the quarterfinals. Pulling off an upset in that game could guarantee an update to the NCAA Tournament.

Miami Beats Notre Dame
[Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images]

North Carolina is the favorite to win three games and clinch the ACC Championship Game on March 12. Doing so would improve the team to 28-6 on the season and likely earn the Tar Heels a top seed in the NCAA Tournament. Virginia (24-6) and Miami (24-6) could be in that same boat, as the two schools have been ranked in the top 10 for most of the college basketball season. Finishing 27-6 with an ACC title could net either school a top seed. The 2016 ACC tournament brackets first start with Wake Forest vs. North Carolina State on March 8 as two schools that have struggled this season look to surprise the field.

[Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images]

Share this article: ACC Tournament Brackets 2016: Schedule, Game Times For Conference Tournament
More from Inquisitr