Tuesday was a big day.

Why?

The ACC, SEC, Big 12 and the remaining three FBS conferences announced the kickoff times and television designations for the first couple of weeks of the 2020 season.

What does it all mean? It means football season is another day closer, 10 if you are counting, to kicking off.

Three months ago, heck two months ago, I was not sure there was even going to be a football season. But here we are reaching another milestone.

In case you were sleeping under a rock or something, the ACC announced Tuesday kickoff times for Clemson’s first two games of the season. The top-ranked Tigers’ opening game at Wake Forest on Sept. 12, will be a 7:30 p.m. kickoff and will be a nationally televised game on ABC.

The Tigers’ home opener against The Citadel on Sept. 19, will be a 4 p.m. kick on the ACC Network.

Wake Forest also announced Tuesday there will be no fans in the stands when Clemson comes to Winston-Salem, N.C. The state of North Carolina is not allowing large crowds to gather at this time so Truist Field will be completely empty.

“It is always great to play at night, especially with your brothers,” Clemson defensive tackle Nyles Pinckney said after practice on Tuesday. “Another thing I can say is it’s kinda like practice to us because when we are at practice, we bring the energy. There are no fans out here. All we have is us and our coaches, so if that is what it has to be then that is what it is going to be.

“We are going to be hyped and we are going to turn it up ourselves and keep it between us because at the end of the day, the fans are not going to play, we are.”

The next milestone to circle on the calendar will come Friday when the ACC announces its 2020 Preseason All-ACC team, Preseason ACC Player of the Year and the media’s predicted order of finish.

So, we are another day closer, another milestone closer. I can already smell the fresh cut grass. The 2020 football season is getting close. I can’t wait until kickoff.

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