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NC State

How much NC State will pay, receive for 2025 non-conference games

image_6483441 (3)by: Noah Fleischman08/18/25fleischman_noah
Will Wade
Kim Klement-Imagn Images

NC State released its full non-conference schedule last week, intensifying the buzz for the Will Wade era to begin in Raleigh. While the home opener is just under three months away, the Wolfpack will play six buy games in the upcoming campaign. 

The program is set to shell out $540,000 for the half dozen one-off home games against mid-major programs, according to documents TheWolfpacker.com obtained via a Freedom of Information Act request. 

Although NC State will pay more than half a million dollars for six opponents, the Wolfpack will spend less this season than it did last year under Kevin Keatts. The Pack dropped $664,000 for seven such contests a year ago.

NC State will pay four teams, many of which local — NC Central (Nov. 3), UAB (Nov. 7), UNC Greensboro (Nov. 12) and UNC Asheville (Dec. 6) — $90,000 to play in Raleigh — in line with last year’s most-commonly paid sum. Liberty, meanwhile, will receive $80,000 for its trip to Raleigh on Dec. 10, and Texas Southern is set to be paid $100,000 for its trek to Reynolds Coliseum for the program’s annual Heritage Game on Dec. 17. 

For Wade and assistant Brandon Chambers, who led the team’s scheduling, playing as many in-state programs as possible was an emphasis. Not only does it keep the buy game funds in the state, but it also is a way to bring more fans to the Lenovo Center.

“I think it’s important for our fans that we play as many of those local teams as we can,” Wade said earlier this summer. “Those guys call and want to play, we’re going to play. If we’re going to ask fans to come to Lenovo, we’re going to ask fans to come to games, we at least need to have teams they’re familiar with.”

Although the Wolfpack has six buy games, it will be able to recoup some of the cost through its neutral-site game with Ole Miss. 

Both NC State and Ole Miss will be paid $100,000 each for the Pack’s non-conference finale at First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro on Dec. 21. The two programs will receive another $100,000 for next season’s meeting, which is to be played in Tupelo, Miss., or South Haven, Miss., on Dec. 19, 2026, according to the game contract. 

Additionally, NC State has a pair of home-and-home series that didn’t cost the program money to get on the schedule. The Pack will host Kansas for the return game of last season’s series on Dec. 13, while VCU will begin a two-game contract on Nov. 17 in Raleigh before NC State returns the trip to Richmond at a to-be-determined date next season.

NC State's 2025-26 Non-Conference Schedule

Monday, Nov. 3 – NC Central
Friday, Nov. 7 – UAB
Wednesday, Nov. 12 – UNCG
Monday, Nov. 17 – VCU
Monday, Nov. 24 – Seton Hall $
Tuesday, Nov. 25 – Boise State or USC $
Wednesday, Nov. 26 – Opponent TBD $
Wednesday, Dec. 3 – at Auburn #
Saturday, Dec. 6 – UNC Asheville
Wednesday, Dec. 10 – Liberty
Saturday, Dec. 13 – Kansas
Wednesday, Dec. 17 – Texas Southern !
Sunday, Dec. 21 – vs. Ole Miss in Greensboro

$ – Southwest Maui Invitational
# – ACC/SEC Challenge
! – Heritage Game in Reynolds Coliseum

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