The ACC Coastal divisional race is over, and Virginia Tech will play Clemson in next Saturday’s ACC Championship Game in Orlando (8 p.m. ET, ABC).
ACC Coastal standings: Virginia Tech clinches after UNC’s loss to NC State
The Hokies advance, no matter what happens Saturday.
Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
North Carolina lost on Saturday to NC State. Both the Tar Heels and Virginia Tech entered the weekend 5-2 in conference play, with the Hokies still to play on Saturday against Virginia (noon ET, ESPN2). That game now means nothing to this race, because Tech has the head-to-head tiebreaker on UNC. Both will finish 5-3 if the Hokies win, and that division would simply go to Tech on a tiebreaker. Or, more likely, Justin Fuente’s team will win, and the division championship will come outright.
The standings:
Virginia Tech owns the head-to-head tiebreaker against North Carolina, which is why wins or losses by both teams would leave the Hokies in first place. The division winner advances to play ACC Atlantic champion Clemson in the league championship game next weekend in Orlando, where it’s been moved this year from Charlotte.
But aren’t there other teams that could tie the Hokies at 5-3?
There sure are. In theory, Virginia tech could lose. Pitt could beat Syracuse, Miami could beat Duke, and we could have a three- or four-team tie at the top of the Coastal.
But it wouldn’t change our fundamentals. The first ACC tiebreaker in a multi-team logjam is the tied teams’ combined records against one another. Virginia Tech is 3-0 against UNC, Miami, and Pitt. No matter the combination of tied teams, Tech would have the best record, and Tech would therefore win the division.
Too long; didn’t read?
It’s over. Virginia Tech wins.
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