The Big Ten has passed a rule that will stop players from returning from the NFL or any other professional league from playing for one of its schools.

Any player who has declared for the NFL draft and did not withdraw, appeared on an NFL roster or signed a contract with a pro league cannot be on a Big Ten roster, the league announced Tuesday in a statement.

The Big Ten’s athletic directors unanimously approved the rule, which the conference’s faculty athletic representatives then unanimously approved.

The Big Ten confirmed that any team in violation of the rule would have its head coach suspended for 50 percent of its remaining games, plus an undisclosed fine.

“The Big Ten Conference announced Tuesday the unanimous adoption of a conference rule to prohibit football players who have signed a professional contract, were on a professional roster at any point or declared for the NFL Draft as an underclassman without withdrawing, from maintaining eligibility for athletic competition at a conference institution,” the league said. “The conference continues to evaluate potential rules restricting professional athletes in other sports from conference competition.”

The SEC, Big 12 and ACC have also joined the Big Ten in banning these players from returning. The Big 12 and ACC have extended the ban to all college sports, while the SEC is applying it not just to football but also to men’s and women’s Basketball. The Big Ten, for now, is only banning football.

The Big Ten’s ruling comes after two NFL players, Cleveland Browns Dae’Quan Wright and New Orleans Saints Zxavian Harris, parted with their teams to join Lane Kiffin’s roster at LSU.

Wright and Harris, who both played for Kiffin at Ole Miss, are returning to college football thanks to a court order that is creating havoc throughout the NCAA by allowing athletes an unexpected fifth year of eligibility. The players can regain their college eligibility if they terminate their pro contracts and repay any pro earnings.

Wright cleared NFL waivers on Tuesday and is expected to sign with LSU on Wednesday, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The SEC, however, approved a similar ban later Tuesday night on players who have declared or appeared on a professional roster.

The NCAA said in a statement that court rulings that grant fifth-year eligibility are having a “destabilizing effect” on college sports.

“Courts across the country granting relief to ineligible athletes who already had every opportunity to compete in college, sometimes without even having a hearing, are failing to appreciate the destabilizing effect their rulings are having on college sports,” the NCAA said in a statement.

“The lawyers bringing these cases seemingly won’t be satisfied until every professional athlete can treat college sports as a fallback option, regardless of the opportunities it strips from both those who will never have a chance to begin their collegiate sports experience and those who are currently on campus working out with the team and attending classes. Thankfully, Congress can right this wrong by passing the bipartisan Protect College Sports Act and ensuring student-athletes can have a level playing field with rules that apply fairly to everyone.” 

With the 2025/26 academic year seeing several athletes returning from the pros to college, the NCAA and Power 4 conferences plan to close that route.

The Atlantic Coast Conference announced that Florida State University has been fined $50,000 for a breach of the newly enacted event security policy following the 31-17 victory over the Alabama Crimson Tide.

The updated security policy was introduced in late July, applying to football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball for the 2025-26 academic year, designed to protect fans, players, coaches and staff. Under its new terms, storming the field after the game incurs a $50,000 fine for the first offense and escalates to $100,000 for a second offense and $200,000 for a third offense within two years, per school.

All collected funds from the fines will benefit the Weaver-James-Corrigan-Swofford Postgraduate Scholarship Fund, which supports graduate-level opportunities for ACC student-athletes. FSU is the first school to be fined under the updated policy.

Compared to other conferences, the ACC’s rule is relatively modest. The Southeastern Conference enforces some of the strictest penalties for storming the field or court.

The SEC’s policy, adopted in 2004, fined schools $100,000 for their first offense and escalated the fine per offense. For the new 2025-26 season, the SEC replaced the escalating fines with a flat rate of $500,000 per incident.

The difference in scale of fines highlights the two conferences’ approach to crowd-control issues. The higher fines imposed by the SEC reflect its history of field-storming and intense rivalries that draw in immense crowds. In contrast, the ACC’s newly introduced policy introduces graduated penalties at a lower entry point.

Last season, the Florida State Seminoles suffered significant losses, finishing with a 2-10 overall record, their worst performance in decades. Florida State’s upset over Alabama had fans jumping over the railings and onto the field to celebrate the big win.

Currently, the team is facing serious off-field concerns. Freshman linebacker Ethan Pritchard remains in critical but stable condition after being shot following a shooting incident unrelated to the game.

North Carolina State’s Owen Lloyd came home to finish first in the 1,650-yard freestyle title at the ACC Championships but was stripped of the win after violating rules in his celebration. Following finishing the race before all other competitors, Lloyd ventured to the adjacent lane to celebrate with his teammate. In his seemingly routine and unknowing action, Lloyd was stripped of the win for violating Rule 2 Section 5 of the NCAA rulebook, which states that “a swimmer who changes lanes during a heat shall be disqualified.”

“I just started crying because I was so upset that all that hard work had been kind of taken away from me by such a strange situation,” Lloyd said after the race. “That was a huge moment for me to become an ACC champion after really kind of climbing up the ranks throughout the team, throughout the conference and nationally, as well…That did not cross my mind at all that potentially I’d be disrespecting them or showing emotion that I shouldn’t while they were still racing. I was kind of just letting it flow.”

The teammate Lloyd was going to celebrate with was Ross Dant, who finished second and became the eventual winner of the race after Lloyd’s disqualification. Dant said that he would give the first-place trophy and spot on the podium to his teammate, citing his thoughts on the rule and how he believes Lloyd is the real winner.

“I think that’s the dumbest rule in swimming,” Dant said. “Owen beat me fair and square, he should be on that podium. He was excited. That’s a huge win for him, right? He earned that. He earned that, and that’s his emotion… He works so hard every day. He is going to be on that No. 1 trophy. I am not going to stand up there.”

Though beating his teammate by two seconds, his breaking of the rule causes an automatic disqualification of the race. The rule is in place to make sure other swimmers who have completed the race do not interfere with others still trying to finish, but that wasn’t the case with Lloyd and Dant. As teammates who had both just finished first and second the duo wanted an immediate celebration while still in the pool, but it broke the rules and jeopardized one of their most important races of the year.

Both the ACC conference and NCAA as a whole have yet to comment about the issue, but as it stands Dant still officially holds the conference title. With a win, Lloyd would have secured his spot in the NCAA Championships, but instead, he is forced to sit in defeat for breaking an arbitrary rule. It is unclear whether a ruling change is in the future or even possible, so as it stands now Lloyd will miss the 2024 Division 1 Championships which take place from March 27 to 30 in Indianapolis.

Following news in July that revealed that Oklahoma and Texas were planning to leave the Big 12 for the SEC, things quickly turned on making this a reality. The Big Ten, ACC and Pac-12 are appearing to ally to counter the SEC’s aggressiveness in the changing college athletics landscape.

Recent seismic shifts include name, image, and likeness (NIL), playoff expansion and the Supreme Court ruling that opens the door to antitrust litigation against the NCAA and its membership along with the SEC’s addition of Texas and Oklahoma. All of these factors have created a desire among the three leagues to find philosophical common ground to chart a path forward.

The focal points of the alliance are scheduling academics, governance, and other broad-based issues. However, the main issue is a response to the SEC’s expansion and influence.

Multiple sources allege that the three will formally announce an alliance in the next week.

“This is not down on them [SEC], but given some of the movement that occurred, I think this is the right decision to be made to have that conversation amongst the three of us and to really form this alliance that sort of thinks about things on a more consistent basis than just waiting for our annual NCAA meeting,” Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel told reporters on Thursday, per the Detroit News.

On Monday, the ACC board of directors voted in a unanimous decision to eliminate its intraconference transfer rule.

ACC commissioner Jim Phillips said in a statement following the decision, “The time has come for all student-athletes to have the opportunity to transfer and be permitted to compete immediately.” He added, “This decision is in the best interest of our student-athletes as it allows greater flexibility during their collegiate career.”

The intraconference transfer rule created in 1996 required student-athletes without a degree to sit out one year if they were transferring from one ACC school to another. This decision comes as the NCAA has pending legislation that would allow student-athletes a one-time transfer with immediate eligibility in all sports.

In January, the NCAA Division I council delayed a vote on similar legislation that would loosen the aforementioned restrictions. Despite being delayed, the NCAA is supposedly remaining committed to making changes.

Dabo Swinney was not happy when Florida State decided to postpone their game against the Clemson Tigers – suggesting that they were intentionally postponing to dodge their game.

Clemson had complied with the ACC protocol regarding a player testing positive for COVID-19. Clemson had traveled with a player who had shown symptoms but only tested positive on Friday when they arrived in Tallahassee, Florida. Clemson’s athletic director Dan Radakovich affirmed that Clemson took the proper precautions and protocols set by the ACC.

The player who tested positive was an offensive lineman who showed symptoms and tested negative by the team, was allowed to practice with the team but had to wear a mask and visor. Social distancing was used and enforced by the team. When the team traveled to Florida for their matchup, the player no longer showed symptoms but tested positive. Swinney argued that the team had prepared and taken the necessary precaution to be able to play, so there should have been no reason to postpone the game.

“So now we’re changing the rules? You either trust the test, or you don’t,” Swinney said. “If the test is negative, we’re going to tell guys they can’t play anyway? That’s why we test. If a guy has an earache or a runny nose and tests negative all week, and we’re going to say we won’t take you? You either trust the test, or you don’t, and the rules are what they are. There’s been plenty of games played this year where guys were not positive one week and positive the next week. This is a virus. We all know what we’re dealing with. The bottom line is the rules were put in play for everyone, and we more than met the standard.”

Florida State, on the other hand, declined to comment on the fiery statement by Swinney. Just earlier this year, the team opted to not travel when a player and a coach showed symptoms before both tested positive.

Clemson went on to offer to Florida State to undergo additional testing on Saturday or Sunday so they could play either Sunday or Monday. Florida State declined the offer and instead wanted to reschedule the game. “We were willing to do whatever was necessary to play while in Tallahassee,” Radakovich said. “We feel we offered additional solutions to make it work.” Multiple Clemson players were disappointed that Florida State wanted to reschedule the game.

Clemson had spent over $300,000 in costs for travel to go to Florida for their matchup. Swinney will not agree to reschedule the game unless Florida State reimburses them for the costs. Rescheduling a game will require both teams and the ACC to find a new date to play. Radakovich said, “issues associated with rescheduling that will be discussed with the ACC in the coming week.”

On Wednesday, the Big-12 announced its intention to go forward with football in the fall after a board of governors meeting on Tuesday. This comes during a week where several other schools and major conferences have announced that they will not go forward with their seasons. “Our student-athletes want to compete, and it is the board’s collective opinion that sports can be conducted safely and in concert with the best interests of their well-being,” Big 12 board of directors said in a statement. “We remain vigilant in monitoring the trends and effects of COVID-19 as we learn more about the virus. If at any point our scientists and doctors conclude that our institutions cannot provide a safe and appropriate environment for our participants, we will change course.”

While there have been these cancellations, which seems like the logical thing to do, there was a group of college football players, spearheaded by Clemson star-quarterback Trevor Lawrence who took to Twitter to express their desire to play. This also comes after two other major conferences, the ACC and SEC, announcing their intentions to play. Along with their announcement, the BIG 12 released a fall game schedule.

“The virus continues to evolve and medical professionals are learning more with each passing week,” Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby said in a statement. “Opinions vary regarding the best path forward, as we’ve seen throughout higher education and our society overall, but we are comfortable in our institutions’ ability to provide a structured training environment, rigorous testing and surveillance, hospital quality sanitation and mitigation practices that optimize the health and safety of our student-athletes. We believe all of this combines to create an ideal learning and training situation during this time of COVID-19.”

While it is highly unlikely that there will be any more college football played in 2020, the ACC board of directors voted on Wednesday on reducing the number of games for the conference to 11, the first of which is currently scheduled to be played on September 12 if public health guidelines allow it.

With the fall and the return to school slowly approaching, the NCAA and independent conferences within the association have been hesitant to call off their seasons or at least delay them, despite the fact that it does not seem feasible to have any sort of collegiate sports this fall when most schools will be at a highly reduced capacity. ACC commissioner John Swofford said in a statement, “Today’s decision was made after months of thoughtful planning by numerous individuals throughout the conference. The Board’s decision presents a path, if public health guidance allows, to move forward with competition. Our institutions are committed to taking the necessary measures to facilitate the return in a safe and responsible manner. We recognize that we may need to be nimble and make adjustments in the future. We will be as prepared as possible should that need arise.”

It is likely that adjustments will need to be made and this appears to be a momentary stop-gap until the state of COVID-19 in this country forces the ACC and the NCCAA’s hands into something more drastic.

Sylvia Hatchell, North Carolina‘s Hall of Fame women’s basketball coach, is being investigated due to allegations that she made racially offensive remarks as well as forcing players to ignore serious injuries and push through them.

According to The Washington Post, seven people are involved in the program, including six parents of current players.

UNC women’s basketball coach Hatchell Under Fire

Currently, North Carolina has placed Hatchell — as well as three assistants — on paid administrative leave as the school reviews the program. In a statement on Monday, they said that the actions occurred “due to issues raised by student-athletes and others.”

Wade Smith, Hatchell’s attorney, claims that the statements by the coach have been misconstrued and incorrect.  After Hatchell was accused of saying players would get “hanged from trees with nooses” if they didn’t improve, Smith said of Hatchell: “She said, ‘They’re going to take a rope and string us up, and hang us out to dry.'”

“There is not a racist bone in her body,” Smith added of Hatchell. “A very high percentage of the people who have played for her and who love her are African-American women. She is a terrific coach and a truly world-class human being.”

Hatchell released a statement on Monday saying that she will fully cooperate and assist with the review.

30 SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2018 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW

“I’ve had the privilege of coaching more than 200 young women during my 44 years in basketball,” she said. “My goal has always been to help them become the very best people they can be, on the basketball court and in life.”

“I love each and every one of the players I’ve coached and would do anything to encourage and support them. They are like family to me. I love them all.”

Hatchell was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013 and is the winningest coach in the Atlantic Coast Conference’s history. She has a career record of 1,023-405 and is 751-325 in 33 years at UNC and won a national title in 1994.

Currently, she is under contract with the school until next season.

The Louisville Cardinals will host the top team in the country, the Virginia Cavaliers, on Thursday night, and here is everything you kneed to know before the big ACC matchup.

Virginia vs. Louisville basketball preview

Virginia (26-2, 15-1 ACC) won its previous meeting with Louisville 74-64 on Jan. 31 in Charlottesville. The Cavaliers lead the overall series against the Cardinals (19-10, 9-7 ACC) 11-4. This will surely be a fun series to watch, as the NCAA Tournament is right around the corner and both teams have traditionally been strong contenders.

The only two teams to defeat Virginia this season are Virginia Tech and West Virginia. Despite their loss at Virginia earlier this year, Louisville played one of their strongest games of the season. The Cardinals’ offense went 8 of 18 from three-point range and 17 of 32 on 2-pointers, even though the Cavaliers put on some solid defense. Virginia shot 53.7 percent from the field that night.

Among the most productive players on Virginia’s offense are guards Kyle Guy, Devon Hall and Ty Jerome, who are 171 of 419, or 40.8 percent, from 3-point range.

Meanwhile, Louisville will rely on Darius Perry and Dwayne Sutton, their two best defenders. The Cardinals are eighth in the ACC. They defeated Virginia Tech 75-68 on Saturday.

Here are all the details of the game:

What: No. 1 Virginia vs. Louisville

Date/Time: March 1, 2018, 8 p.m. EST

Place: KFC Yum Center (22,000 capacity)

TV: ESFC

Caption:CHICAGO, IL – MARCH 27: DaJuan Coleman #32 of the Syracuse Orange shoots against Mike Tobey #10 of the Virginia Cavaliers in the second half during the 2016 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Midwest Regional Final at United Center on March 27, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

The Florida State Seminoles will visit the No. 18 Clemson Tigers on Wednesday night, and here are all the facts to know about the ACC contest.

Clemson vs. Florida State basketball preview

Clemson (21-7, 10-6 ACC) has an RPI (Rating Percentage Index) of 10 and is projected by some to be a top 5 seed. The Tigers would set a record for school victories should they defeat FSU.

Clemson is tied with NC State for the No. 4 seed, just one game behind the Tar Heels and 1.5 games behind Duke. The Tigers close out the regular season Saturday at Syracuse.

The Tigers are fourth in their conference, while FSU (19-9, 8-8 ACC) is ninth. The two teams previously met this season on Feb. 14 in Tallahassee. Clemson lost an 18-point second-half lead to fall 81-79 to the Seminoles, the first game of a three-game losing streak. The Tigers finished with 21 turnovers.

“Great size, length, athleticism, really come after you … and you’ve got to rebound the fire out of the ball when you play them,” Clemson coach Brad Brownell said of FSU. “They pressure pretty much most games and they get after you both at the half and full court. It’s a difficult team to run your normal offense against because they don’t allow you to make as many passes, so you’ve got to make some adjustments.”

Here are the full details for the matchup:

Who: No. 18 Clemson (21-7, 10-6 ACC) vs. FSU (19-9, 8-8)

Where: Littlejohn Coliseum, Clemson, SC

When: Wednesday, 9 p.m.

TV: ESPNU

GREENSBORO, NC – MARCH 11: Demontez Stitt #2 of the Clemson Tigers reacts as the Clemson Tiger mascot looks on while playing against the Boston College Eagles during the second half in the quarterfinals of the 2011 ACC men’s basketball tournament at the Greensboro Coliseum on March 11, 2011 in Greensboro, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

The No. 9 North Carolina Tar Heels will host the Miami Hurricanes on Tuesday night, and here are all the facts to know before the big ACC matchup.

Miami vs. UNC basketball preview

The day will mark senior night at UNC’s Dean Smith Center, and some Tar Heels seniors have already admitted how special the evening will feel for them, as it will be their final regular-season home game.

“Senior Night is going to be really emotional for me, but I’m just trying to do my best to soak everything in and enjoy this team, enjoy what’s going on and try to do my best to lead this team back to where we want to be and that’s making another Final Four,” said UNC guard Joel Berry. 

Miami’s head coach echoed Jim Larrañaga echoed some of Berry’s sentiments: “This is a very short turnaround for us, it’s Senior Day at Carolina, we’re expecting a very vocal crowd and a lot of enthusiasm. They’re on a six-game winning streak and playing their best basketball of the season. They’ve got a very versatile team. Normally, they’re very, very big; this team is different and has a lot of three-point shooting.”

North Carolina’s  (22-7, 11-5 ACC) latest six straight victories have all been conference wins, and they are also undefeated in February. Their last triumph was a 78-74 win at Syracuse on Wednesday.

The Hurricanes (20-8, 9-7 ACC), meanwhile, dropped three straight conference games to start off the month but then made some lineup changes and rebounded to win their last two games. Lonnie Walker’s last-second three-pointer to defeat Boston College on Saturday gave Miami 20 wins this season, and also boosted their NCAA Tournament resume.

ESPN has Larrañaga’s team currently slated as the No. 8 seed in the Midwest. In 16 games, freshman guard Walker is leading the Canes with 13.8 points per game and shooting 36.2 percent from three. He’s scored in double digits in 11 ACC games, including a career-high 25 points against Louisville and a 23-point performance against Florida State.

In Miami’s last meeting vs. UNC, the Tar Heels dominated 78-53, in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament. Isaiah Hicks led North Carolina with 19 points. UNC leads the all-time series 21-7.

Here are all the details about the game:

North Carolina (22-7, 11-5 ACC) vs. Miami (20-8, 9-7 ACC)

Place: Chapel Hill, N.C. – Dean E. Smith Center
Date/Time: Tuesday, Feb. 27, 9 p.m. EST
TV Channel: ESPN (Rece Davis, Jay Bilas)

GLENDALE, AZ – APRIL 03: The North Carolina Tar Heels celebrate after defeating the Gonzaga Bulldogs during the 2017 NCAA Men’s Final Four National Championship game at University of Phoenix Stadium on April 3, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. The Tar Heels defeated the Bulldogs 71-65. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

The No.5 Duke Blue Devils will travel to face the Wake Forest Demon Deacons on Tuesday night, and here is everything you need to know before the big matchup.

Duke vs. Wake Forest basketball preview

Duke (17-2, 5-2 in ACC) is fourth in their conference. The Blue Devils have won four straight games, and their only two losses have come against NC State and Boston College.

The Devils played the Deacons at home on Jan. 13, and handily won 81-69, despite missing head coach Mike Krzyzewski, who was out with a virus. Associate head coach Jeff Capel took over.

Wake Forest (8-11, 1-6 in ACC) are 14th in the conference. Its only ACC victory was against Syracuse.

Duke boasts several top players like freshmen forwards Wendell Carter Jr. and Marvin Bagley III. Freshman reserve guard Alex O’Connell has also delivered significantly for the Devils.

The Blue Devils also routed Pittsburgh 81-54 on Saturday.

Duke vs. Wake Forest: 

Date: January 23, 2018

Time: 9 pm EST

Place: Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Winston-Salem, NC

TV Channel: ESPN FC

CHICAGO, IL – NOVEMBER 14: Wendell Carter Jr #34 of the Duke Blue Devils is fouled by Jaren Jackson Jr. #2 of the Michigan State Spartans during the State Farm Champions Classic at the United Center on November 14, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. Duke defeated Michigan State 88-81. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Duke men’s basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski will undergo back surgery on Friday, the university announced early Monday.

Duke Basketball Coach Mike Krzyzewski To Have Back Surgery Friday

Krzyzewski is expected to coach the Blue Devils on Wednesday against Georgia Tech and then step away for the surgery to remove a fragment of a herniated disk in his lower back.

The head coach is anticipated to have a four-week recovery.

“His back has been bothering him way worse than he’s let on,” a source told ESPN.

Associate head coach Jeff Capel will coach the Blue Devils in Krzyzewski’s absence. Assistants Nate James and Jon Scheyer are also set to take on bigger roles. Capel’s first game will be at home Saturday against Boston College.

Krzyzewski– nicknamed ‘Coach K’– released a statement in which he said he intends to return as quickly as possible.

“Dr. William Richardson, Dr. Friedman, and our medical team have worked tirelessly to help manage this issue for several weeks,” said Krzyzewski. “Together, we have determined that surgery is the best course of action at this time. During my recovery process, the team will be in the capable hands of Coach Capel, Coach James and Coach Scheyer. As soon as the doctors clear me to do so, I look forward to returning and giving our team 100% of my energy and attention, which is certainly something that they deserve.”

Duke (12-2) is currently ranked fifth in both the AP and coaches Top 25 polls.

Krzyzewski previously had back issues in 1994, and stepped away after surgery in January 1995 for the remainder of the season.

This year, Krzyzewski, 69, underwent four total surgeries during the offseason to replace his left knee, repair his left ankle and fix a hernia, squeezing those procedures into a busy summer during which he also led the U.S. Olympic team to the gold medal in Rio de Janeiro.

Capel has considerable head coaching experience, having spent four years at Virginia Commonwealth and five at Oklahoma. He led the Sooners to the Elite Eight in 2009. Capel, a former Blue Devils player, will take over just as Duke gets deep into the rough-and-tumble ACC schedule.

Krzyzewski has led Duke to five national titles and has a team that was ranked No. 1 in the preseason. The Blue Devils last fell to Virginia Tech on Saturday without Grayson Allen, who is serving an indefinite suspension for tripping an opponent. Allen’s status for Wednesday’s game is undecided, according to the school, and Krzyzewski will still determine when the guard returns to play.

NEW YORK, NY – DECEMBER 06: Head coach Mike Krzyzewski of the Duke Blue Devils reacts against the Florida Gators in the second half during the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden on December 6, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Deshaun Watson and the No. 5 Clemson Tigers defeated the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 27-6 on Thursday night to record their first victory at Bobby Dodd Stadium in Atlanta since 2003.

Led By Deshaun Watson, No. 5 Clemson Beats Georgia Tech 26-7

Watson completed 32 of 48 passes for 304 yards, including a pair of touchdowns during a dominant first half that made it seem like a matchup between a top-ranked school and a scout team, rather than a top-ranked school and a fellow Atlantic Coast Conference member. The Tigers also posted a 56 percent conversion rate on third downs.

Following sluggish wins over Auburn and Troy, and an easy 59-0 rout of FCS school South Carolina State that meant nothing, Clemson (4-0, 1-0 ACC) will now gear up for a great showdown with No. 3 Louisville.

“We came in focused that first half,” Watson said. “We just wanted to finish the deal.”

The 21-year-old QB tossed a four-yard touchdown pass to Mike Williams and a nine-yard pass to Jordan Leggett with just 4 seconds remaining before halftime to cap an incredibly lopsided meeting that wasn’t wholly reflected in the 23-0 lead. Wayne Gallman added a 1-yard TD run.

The Tigers also held the hosts to 124 total yards and just two third-down conversions on 12 attempts.

At the half, Clemson led 347-22 in total yards and 19-3 in first downs, having run 56 plays to just 21 for Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets (3-1, 1-1 ACC) were out-gained 442-124 overall.

“It’s been a long time since we’ve won here,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. “We’ll take it.”

Thursday’s game also seemed like a repeat of lat year’s meeting at Clemson, when the Tigers jumped to a 33-10 halftime lead on route to a 43-24 victory. Clemson completely dominated the line of scrimmage in both instances.

“They’ve done it to us two years in a row up front,” Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson said. “They kicked our butts.”

Watson and the Tigers offense did look shaky at times, however. The Clemson QB had a bad red zone interception on an apparent miscommunication that somehow still resulted in two points for his team. Watson also didn’t look particularly sharp in the red zone except in the first drive of the game. Lance Austin caught the interception, but was inadvertently hit by teammate Corey Griffin, a move that knocked the ball loose.

Georgia Tech, meanwhile, narrowly avoided its first home shutout since 1957, when Dedrick Mills scored on a 2-yard run with 13:21 left.

The Tigers will next host the Louisville Cardinals on Oct. 1, while the Yellow Jackets will host the Miami Hurricanes that same day. Georgia Tech won its first three games this season against Boston College, Mercer and Vanderbilt.

ATLANTA, GA – SEPTEMBER 22: Deshaun Watson #4 of the Clemson Tigers looks to pass as he is pressured by KeShun Freeman #42 of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Bobby Dodd Stadium on September 22, 2016 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

The Atlantic Coast Conference announced Wednesday that it would pull neutral site championships for this academic year out of North Carolina in response to a state law that discriminates against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals.

A.C.C. Pulls League Championships Out Of North Carolina In Response To Anti-LGBT Law

Among the championships that will be moved out of the Tar Heel State include the football title game and the women’s basketball tournament.

The announcement came just two days after the N.C.A.A. revealed that it would move championship games for the upcoming year, including six in the Division I men’s basketball tournament. The N.C.A.A. received both praise from those who oppose the law and harsh criticism from supporters of the law, who claim the organization should not have meddled in politics.

“The A.C.C. Council of Presidents made it clear that the core values of this league are of the utmost importance, and the opposition to any form of discrimination is paramount,” Commissioner John Swofford said in a statement. “Today’s decision is one of principle.”

The law, also know as House Bill 2 or H.B. 2, essentially annulled local government ordinances establishing anti-discrimination protections for members of the LGBT community, and required people in publicly owned establishments to use restrooms that correspond with the gender listed on their birth certificate, as opposed to the gender these people identify with.

Swofford said Monday night that he personally felt the law should “be repealed as it’s counter to basic human rights.”

James P. Clements, president of Clemson University, said the decision came with some difficulty, and that it is in line with the anti-discrimination values of the A.C.C.

“The decision to move the neutral site championships out of North Carolina while H.B. 2 remains the law was not an easy one, but it is consistent with the shared values of inclusion and nondiscrimination at all of our institutions,” Clements said.

The Conference, which is based in Greensboro, North Carolina, includes four member institutions in North Carolina, two of which are state universities: the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State.

In a joint statement, Carol L. Folt and Randy Woodson, the chancellors of UNC and North Carolina State respectively, said: “We appreciate the Council of Presidents’ reaffirmation of the A.C.C.’s strong commitment to diversity and inclusion,” adding, “However, we regret today’s decision will negatively affect many North Carolinians, especially in the affected host communities.”

Tim Moore, the speaker of the state’s House of Representatives, stated the week’s decisions by the N.C.A.A. and the A.C.C. were “very unfortunate.”

“No one ever wants to lose events under any circumstances, but these organizations are certainly entitled to host their events wherever they choose,” said Mr. Moore, a Republican who supports H.B. 2. “The truth remains that this law was never about and does not promote discrimination.”

The A.C.C., which said it would announce future venues, has only a few weeks to relocate its first affected championship, for women’s soccer, which had been scheduled to be held in Cary starting Oct. 30. The conference also has less than three months to find a new site for its marquee event, the football championship game, scheduled for Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte on Dec. 3.

Six other championships featuring sports like men’s and women’s swimming and diving, men’s golf and baseball are scheduled to be held at in-state venues.

Certain championships hosted by specific universities will not be affected, such as the men’s and women’s cross-country championships at North Carolina State.

Aside from these championships and regular-season ACC games, the other major college sports event set to occur in North Carolina is the Belk Bowl, which will pit an A.C.C. team against one from the Southeastern Conference on Dec. 29 in Charlotte.

In late July, the NBA decided to pull the 2017 All-Star Game out of Charlotte, also citing H.B. 2 as a discriminatory law that runs counter to the league’s values.

The Charlotte Sports Foundation, which hosts the Belk Bowl and the A.C.C. football championship, said in a statement Wednesday that it was “disappointed” that the football title game was moving, adding: “We recognize the economic impact moving the game and its events have on the Charlotte area. We will continue to work to bring high impact sporting events to Charlotte in the future.”

 Frank Kay, a spokesman for the host organization, stated there were no discussions about relocating the Belk Bowl.

Officials in North Carolina cities with close ties to the A.C.C., including Greensboro, have been worried about the long-term fallout from the N.C.A.A.’s decision Monday.

CHARLOTTE, NC – DECEMBER 05: T.J. Logan #8 of the North Carolina Tar Heels runs for a touchdown against the Clemson Tigers during the Atlantic Coast Conference Football Championship at Bank of America Stadium on December 5, 2015 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

Pittsburgh and Syracuse will meet in the ACC Tournament Wednesday, March 9 at noon, in a matchup that could determine who will make the NCAA Tournament.

Orange Square Off With Panthers With Possible NCAA Tourney Berth

The two rivals meet with both teams having 19 wins, but Syracuse has 12 losses to compared to Pittsburgh’s 10 and the Panthers have beaten Syracuse in both of their meetings this season. There are a lot of people who fell if the Orange lose to the Panthers three times, they should no be in the tourney this year.
ESPN analyst Joe Lunardi currently has Syracuse as one of his ‘Last Four In,’ which means Syracuse would play Monmouth for the 11th seed in the West Region, and the winner would then play Wisconsin in Providence during the Round of 64.  Lunardi has Pittsburgh as one of his teams on bubble watch, meaning they can still hope for an at-large bid.

Syracuse has had an up and down season so far.  After early season wins against Connecticut and Texas A&M, Syracuse lo consecutive games to likely tourney teams Wisconsin and Georgetown, they also dropped a game to lowly St. John’s. The Orange are also really struggling recently, dropping four of their last five games, with the only win coming against N.C. State.

Pittsburgh has had more than their share of problems with good teams this year.  The Panthers only have one win over a ranked opponent, Duke on February 28, and have only been competitive in a pair of their losses out of six matchups with ranked teams.

The ACC squads have played nearly identical schedules, ‘Cuse’s strength of schedule (SOS) is 42, while Pitt has a SOS rating of 43.  Another reason many feel this is a win or go home game is that the loser will drop to under .500 in conference play.  Both teams are 9-9 in the ACC, so even a close loss could push either team off of the bubble and into the NIT.

Update: Non-Big Five Conferences

Four-Star

As most college football fans know, today is National Signing Day: as team’s scramble to make one last impact on top recruits, these young high school students make a decision about the next four years of their lives. And as the media scuffles around to hear the latest announcement — there will be a lot — uSports will try and consistently update you on all four and five-star recruits’ decisions.

SEC

Five-Star

https://twitter.com/mikedyce/status/562983599390326784

Four-Star

https://twitter.com/UofCFB/status/562997015236599808

https://twitter.com/Volquest_Paul/status/562995633028882435

https://twitter.com/jomalley1964/status/563009624044216320

Big Ten

Four-Star

https://twitter.com/PickSixPreviews/status/562971180303679488

ACC

Four-Star

https://twitter.com/UofCFB/status/562992266776936448

Big 12

Four-Star

Pac-12

Five-Star

Four-Star

https://twitter.com/LeonRogers/status/563096997658652672

Make sure to keep tuning in for updates about all four and five-star recruits: if you want to look at a comprehensive list of three-star and below, go to the SB Nation or Bleacher Report Live page. As for who is winning National Signing Day and the recruiting process, check out 247 Sports’ team chart below.