Duke will play defending ACC champion Louisville at home on Thursday, Dec. 10, first-year Blue Devils coach Kara Lawson's league debut and one of the highlights of the ACC's 2020-21 women's basketball schedule.
The conference announced the 20-game schedule for the upcoming season on Wednesday. The length represents a two-game increase from last season, as the conference adjusts to a season played amid the coronavirus pandemic.
"As we begin the women's basketball season, the health and safety of our student athletes continues to be top priority," ACC commissioner John Swofford said. "We applaud the efforts our teams have made to make this season possible and the diligent work of our Medical Advisory Group in conjunction with our campus administrators. Our women's basketball programs are talented and eager to compete in what we anticipate will be another championship caliber season."
The conference's 15 women's basketball programs will be divided into three regional divisions. Teams will play the other members of their division twice, once at each school. Each team will also play five home games and five road games against non-divisional opponents.
Conference games will begin Wednesday, Dec. 9, with Boston College visiting Georgia Tech and conclude on Feb. 28. Each team will play four conference games before the end of the current calendar year. Most games will take place on Thursday or Sunday.
The ACC tournament is currently scheduled for March 3-7 in Greensboro, North Carolina.
As with the ACC men's schedule, there is no buffer period between the end of the regular season and the conference tournament. The ACC said that any games that can't be played "will only be rescheduled if both teams' schedules permit it."
In addition to Lawson's ACC debut against Louisville, Notre Dame will play its first ACC game under someone other than Muffet McGraw when first-year coach Niele Ivey and the Fighting Irish host Georgia Tech on Sunday, Dec. 13.
Preseason favorites Louisville and NC State will meet only once in the regular season, with the Cardinals hosting the Wolfpack on Sunday, Jan. 17.