Noticed a lot of questions about this. I have, in the past few seasons, spent an embarrassing amount of time figuring out the ACC system from every piece of material available, transient or otherwise, and I think I have a handle on it. Explaining it won't be easy, but we gotta try.
1. Bowls
The ACC has bowl agreements with:
The Orange Bowl: when it is not a playoff game, the champion or, failing their availability, highest ranked ACC team goes here.
The Citrus Bowl: if the ACC plays a Big Ten opponent in the Orange Bowl, the ACC gains a Citrus Bowl slot. Since the Orange Bowl is a playoff game this year, it doesn't matter this season.
Camping World Bowl: After the CFP, NY6, and Citrus Bowl, the next selection is given to the Camping World Bowl (who can select an eligible team- more on this later).
Tier 1 Bowls: Pinstripe, Belk, Sun, and Music City / Gator.
(Music City and Gator Bowl each selects an ACC team three times over a 6 year period. When the ACC team is taken by the bowl with priority that year, the other bowl cannot take an ACC team).
The Tier 1 Bowls each share equal selection status. The league and bowls work to place eligible teams before any Tier 2 Bowl has a shot to pick them.
Tier 2 Bowls:
A. Military
B. Independence
C. Quick Lane
D. St. Petersburg
The Tier 2 Bowls pick after the Tier 1 Bowls. They do pick in order- Military will always pick before Independence, etc.
Conditional: Birmingham Bowl
Formerly the BBVA Compass Bowl, if the AAC or SEC cannot fill their slots, an ACC team will be chosen.
Finally, the ACC is eligible for any bowl that cannot otherwise fill their slots.
2. Eligibility
The obvious one is that a team must have 6 wins to go bowling.
Bowls must adhere to guidelines in bowl selection. Based on the above order, bowls select teams they want, but a team with two less wins can't be selected over a team with two more. For example, an 8-4 team can't be passed over for a 6-6 team, whether it's the Camping World Bowl, Tier 1, or Tier 2. (This protects teams from dropping like Boston College did one year, and protects the ACC from Notre Dame getting shot into the Camping World Bowl every year).
For ACC teams, I'm not 100% certain this is a hard rule but it at least seems to be a very firm suggestion that has consistently been followed. At the least, there's some pool of eligible teams for tier 1 based on performance that season.
3. Notre Dame
Notre Dame as part of their agreement with the ACC is eligible to be selected for any non-Orange Bowl ACC slot. (Notre Dame can, however, be the ACC's opponent in the Orange Bowl). The two win rule as discussed above applies to Notre Dame. Notre Dame's availability probably goes a long way toward getting good bowl tie ins, so it's not all bad.
4. How Bowl Selection Works
The Orange Bowl gets the champion or highest ranked ACC team available if the champion is not whenever it is not a playoff game. (This year, it is a playoff game).
The CFP comittee slots the rest of the NY6 including any ACC teams it sees fit.
If the Orange Bowl opponent is a Big Ten team, the Citrus Bowl gets next choice (while adhering to the two win rule) for an ACC team.
The Camping World Bowl gets the next choice. If the Citrus Bowl cannot take an ACC team, the Camping World Bowl gets the second choice.
The Tier 1 Bowls follow. If Notre Dame is available, all of the bowls put their names in a hat to try and get ND and I am serious.
Following this event, the bowls and league work to fill the slots satisfactorily for all parties. If you think Pitt didn't want the Military Bowl that year and the ACC didn't help protect that interest, well...
The Tier 1 Bowls follow the 2 win rule.
Following this, the Military Bowl gets the next pick. If they want a 6-6 team but there's an 8-4 team remaining, they have to take the 8-4 team.
The bowls follow in order by picking.
If there are too many ACC teams and not enough bowls, the league works diligently to place the ACC team somewhere. This happened to Pitt when Barry Alvarez back door'd a Big Ten Team out of the Orange Bowl and Pitt got scrambled into the Armed Forces Bowl- a bowl with no ACC affiliation.
Hope this helps and Hail to Pitt!
Edit: according to this, Pitt would be guaranteed tier 1: see question 7. https://www.sbnation.com/college-fo...games-work-payouts-playoff-history-determined
1. Bowls
The ACC has bowl agreements with:
The Orange Bowl: when it is not a playoff game, the champion or, failing their availability, highest ranked ACC team goes here.
The Citrus Bowl: if the ACC plays a Big Ten opponent in the Orange Bowl, the ACC gains a Citrus Bowl slot. Since the Orange Bowl is a playoff game this year, it doesn't matter this season.
Camping World Bowl: After the CFP, NY6, and Citrus Bowl, the next selection is given to the Camping World Bowl (who can select an eligible team- more on this later).
Tier 1 Bowls: Pinstripe, Belk, Sun, and Music City / Gator.
(Music City and Gator Bowl each selects an ACC team three times over a 6 year period. When the ACC team is taken by the bowl with priority that year, the other bowl cannot take an ACC team).
The Tier 1 Bowls each share equal selection status. The league and bowls work to place eligible teams before any Tier 2 Bowl has a shot to pick them.
Tier 2 Bowls:
A. Military
B. Independence
C. Quick Lane
D. St. Petersburg
The Tier 2 Bowls pick after the Tier 1 Bowls. They do pick in order- Military will always pick before Independence, etc.
Conditional: Birmingham Bowl
Formerly the BBVA Compass Bowl, if the AAC or SEC cannot fill their slots, an ACC team will be chosen.
Finally, the ACC is eligible for any bowl that cannot otherwise fill their slots.
2. Eligibility
The obvious one is that a team must have 6 wins to go bowling.
Bowls must adhere to guidelines in bowl selection. Based on the above order, bowls select teams they want, but a team with two less wins can't be selected over a team with two more. For example, an 8-4 team can't be passed over for a 6-6 team, whether it's the Camping World Bowl, Tier 1, or Tier 2. (This protects teams from dropping like Boston College did one year, and protects the ACC from Notre Dame getting shot into the Camping World Bowl every year).
For ACC teams, I'm not 100% certain this is a hard rule but it at least seems to be a very firm suggestion that has consistently been followed. At the least, there's some pool of eligible teams for tier 1 based on performance that season.
3. Notre Dame
Notre Dame as part of their agreement with the ACC is eligible to be selected for any non-Orange Bowl ACC slot. (Notre Dame can, however, be the ACC's opponent in the Orange Bowl). The two win rule as discussed above applies to Notre Dame. Notre Dame's availability probably goes a long way toward getting good bowl tie ins, so it's not all bad.
4. How Bowl Selection Works
The Orange Bowl gets the champion or highest ranked ACC team available if the champion is not whenever it is not a playoff game. (This year, it is a playoff game).
The CFP comittee slots the rest of the NY6 including any ACC teams it sees fit.
If the Orange Bowl opponent is a Big Ten team, the Citrus Bowl gets next choice (while adhering to the two win rule) for an ACC team.
The Camping World Bowl gets the next choice. If the Citrus Bowl cannot take an ACC team, the Camping World Bowl gets the second choice.
The Tier 1 Bowls follow. If Notre Dame is available, all of the bowls put their names in a hat to try and get ND and I am serious.
Following this event, the bowls and league work to fill the slots satisfactorily for all parties. If you think Pitt didn't want the Military Bowl that year and the ACC didn't help protect that interest, well...
The Tier 1 Bowls follow the 2 win rule.
Following this, the Military Bowl gets the next pick. If they want a 6-6 team but there's an 8-4 team remaining, they have to take the 8-4 team.
The bowls follow in order by picking.
If there are too many ACC teams and not enough bowls, the league works diligently to place the ACC team somewhere. This happened to Pitt when Barry Alvarez back door'd a Big Ten Team out of the Orange Bowl and Pitt got scrambled into the Armed Forces Bowl- a bowl with no ACC affiliation.
Hope this helps and Hail to Pitt!
Edit: according to this, Pitt would be guaranteed tier 1: see question 7. https://www.sbnation.com/college-fo...games-work-payouts-playoff-history-determined
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