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ACC trivia: Most seasons any two current conf members have not played, after playing in prior years?

Most consecutive years any two current conf members have not played, after playing in prior years?

  • 83

    Votes: 1 20.0%
  • 76

    Votes: 1 20.0%
  • 74

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 69

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 67

    Votes: 2 40.0%
  • 60

    Votes: 1 20.0%

  • Total voters
    5

NoKyCard

3500+
Feb 10, 2005
3,602
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1. Notre Dame first played Syracuse in 1914, then again in 1915. After that, the two did not meet again for 46 years, until 1961. There have also been other large gaps in regular season contests between current ACC members.

Virginia and Wake Forest first teed it up in 1889, and after 22 years, met for only the 2nd time in 1911. They have met 46 times since then, including 24 straight seasons from 1980 to 2004, when ACC expansion apparently broke up the continuation. However, they had a gap in competition after that 1911 contest until they started playing regularly in 1955, a gap of 43 years.

Virginia Tech played North Carolina 26 times from their first matchup in 1895 until 1946. Was there an incident or falling out that caused them to quit playing after 1946? Their next contest didn’t occur until the 1998 Gator Bowl, and they didn’t meet again in the regular season until 2004, a gap of 57 regular seasons without a meeting.

Clemson and Miami started playing in 1945, and met 5 times through 1956, two of which were the Orange Bowl and the Gator Bowl in 1951 and 1952. Then nothing until 2004, a gap 47 seasons.

But there have been longer sabbaticals. What is the most consecutive number of seasons that any two current conference members have not played, after having played in prior years?
 
I'm definitely going to have to start making these questions a whole lot easier. ONLY ONE OF YOU out there got the correct answer.

Ans: Georgia Tech apparently got tired of traveling to North Carolina. They played Wake Forest 4 times between 1917 and 1921, then furloughed the Demon Deacons until 1982. And after two games with NC St. in 1918 and 1922, they dropped the Wolfpack until 1983. Despite these 60 year breaks versus 2 teams from Carolina, they did continue to play Duke and North Carolina during those mid 20th century years.

The NC St. Wolfpack also was involved in another of the longest layoffs between current ACC members. In both 1936 and 1937, the Pack visited Massachusetts to play the Boston College Eagles. They must not have liked the Northeast, as they did not return until the Eagles joined the ACC in 2005, a 67 year hiatus.

Duke must also have disdained the northeast. They ventured to Syracuse in 1938, but were wise enough to get a return visit by the Orange the following year. But that was enough. They didn’t meet again until last year, a 74 year layoff.

And Duke was also involved in the longest break. After three straight trips to Chestnut Hill from 1927 through 1929, the Dukies wouldn’t face the Eagles again until 2006.

So the answer: 76 years.
 
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