With one of the largest conference tournaments in college sports, all 12 ACC teams enter the conference tournament with a chance at glory. And with this conference giving us the last two NCAA Champions in Clemson and Syracuse, all eyes will be on which of these teams is primed to go on a legendary run to win it all.

Home Safe: Notre Dame, Virginia, Wake Forest, Duke

These are the four teams who are in safe position to make the NCAA tournament regardless of how things unfold. Each has done well to handle ranked opponents through the season while minimizing debilitating losses. 

Work to Do: Pittsburgh, North Carolina, Clemson, Syracuse

Pittsburgh, North Carolina and Clemson are probably safe, but a first round loss could swing the odds against them. Each has had too much of an up-and-down season to feel comfortable with its resume. For example, Syracuse closed out the regular season with just one win from five despite having four home games in that period. The defending champions are probably in good shape with a Top 30 RPI this week, but the more wins the better at this point.

Win and In: Louisville, NC State, Virginia Tech, Boston College

These four will have to win the conference tournament to get into the NCAA tournament, no way around it. NC State, Virginia Tech and Boston College come in with losing records while Louisville saw a promising season unravel after an injury to star striker Andrew Guerra saw the team go 4-3-1 without him after a 5-1-1 start. 

First Round (Nov. 1) Preview:

No. 12 Boston College at No. 5 Duke

Boston College has to be on high alert as they match up against the NCAA’s top scoring team with 43 goals on the season. And with seven goals scored in each of its last two games, Duke is brimming with confidence at home against a Boston College team that did not win a conference game. Anything can happen in knockout play, but this is going to be a tall task for the Eagles

No. 11 NC State at No. 6 Syracuse

These two met on October 22, where NC State eked out a 1-1 draw despite being outshot by an 18-2 margin. That recipe may not be replicable but a team fighting for a chance at the NCAA tournament is as dangerous as it comes. 

No. 10 Virginia Tech at No. 7 North Carolina

North Carolina struggled offensively in ACC play with only NC State scoring fewer than their six goals. But Virginia Tech may be the ideal opponent as they face a defense that just conceded seven to Duke. When these two met in Virginia in early September, 1-1 was the final score; expect to see plenty more goals this time around

No. 9 Louisville at No. 8 Pittsburgh

At its best Pittsburgh is a team that has lost just once in 10 games at home, at its worst, this is a team that did not win a single road game from five tries. The Panthers closed out the regular season with a 6-0 loss to Notre Dame. And with Andrew Guerra returning to the Louisville lineup, this is going to be a highly anticipated affair.

Quarterfinals (Nov. 5) Preview:

Boston College/Duke at. No. 1 Notre Dame

Notre Dame made easy work of the ACC with an impressive undefeated record. And if they matchup with Duke the Irish will bring their second ranked defense nationally against Duke’s nation leading offense. 

Louisville/Pittsburgh at No. 2 Wake Forest

Wake Forest will probably want to face Pittsburgh more than Louisville considering it tied the latter 2-2 to close out the regular season. In addition, the Pittsburgh game will give Wake Forest to avenge its only loss of the season coming on September 9 in a 3-0 result.

Virginia Tech/North Carolina at No. 3 Virginia

Either way it falls, Virginia will be playing a team it played within the last two weeks, a dangerous situation that lends itself for an upset. But, the Cavaliers have lost just one of 11 home games this season, coming back in game two of the fall, so they will feel confident in their chances in Charlottesville.

NC State/Syracuse at No. 4 Clemson

Clemson played both teams at the tail end of the season, tying both 1-1. But those games were away, and the Orange Tigers will feel extra confident at a home stadium where they have won eight straight games. 

Final Notes

• Clemson 2021, and Syracuse, 2022, are the last two NCAA Champions.
• Syracuse defeated Clemson 2-0 in last season’s ACC final.
• Wake Forest won the Atlantic Division, and Notre Dame won the Coastal and overall regular season title.
• Virginia Tech and Pittsburgh only two teams yet to win ACC tournament title.
• Virginia has the most ACC tournament titles with 11, followed by Maryland, now of the Big 10, with 6, and Clemson with 4.
• No. 2 Notre Dame, No. 5 Wake Forest, No. 7 Duke, No. 9 Virginia, No. 14 Clemson, No. 20 Pittsburgh, No. 22 North Carolina & No. 24 Syracuse are the eight nationally ranked ACC teams.
• Duke's 43 goals lead the country, followed by Clemson in second with 42.
• Notre Dame scored the most in ACC games with 19, and conceded the least with six, tied with North Carolina.
• Forster Ajago of Duke leads the ACC in scoring with 13, which ranks sixth nationally.
• Jeorgio Kocevski of Syracuse leads the ACC in assists with 10, which ranks third nationally.
• Bryan Dowd of Notre Dame leads the conference with eight shutouts, third most nationally.
• 16 TDS TOP 100 Players in Attendance: No. 3 Garrison Tubbs (Wake Forest), No. 12 Filip Mirkovic (Pittsburgh), No. 16 Jackson Gilman (Pittsburgh), No. 17 Andrew Guerra (Louisville), No. 25 Jeorgio Kocevski (Syracuse), No. 26 Matthew Roou (Notre Dame), No. 28 Forster Ajago (Duke), No. 31 Bryan Dowd (Notre Dame), No. 37 Quenzi Huerman (North Carolina), No. 43 Kamran Acito (Duke), No. 46 Nick Pariano (Duke), No. 50 Paddy Burns (Notre Dame), No. 55 Ousmane Sylla (Clemson), No. 58 Mouhameth Thiam (Virginia), No. 62 Joran Gerbet (Clemson), No. 71 Roald Mitchell (Wake Forest).
• 12 TDS Top 100 Freshmen in Attendance: No. 4 Stephen Annor (Virginia), No. 5 Liam O'Gara (Wake Forest), No. 9 Julian Eyestone (Duke), No. 11 Albert Thorsen (Pittsburgh), No. 26 Noe Uwimana (Virginia Tech), No. 28 Ulfur Bjornsson (Duke), No. 51 Nolan Spicer (Notre Dame), No. 54 Travis Smith (Wake Forest), No. 75 Ethan Subachan (Louisville), No. 90 Bull Jorgensen (Duke), No. 93 Santiago Ferreira (Pittsburgh), No. 94 Jeffrey White (Wake Forest).
• The semifinals are November 8, and the final is on November 12.