ACC unveils new scheduling model, NC State’s opponents over next 7 years
NC State knows what ACC opponents it will face over the next seven seasons — for now — as the conference released its new scheduling model Monday evening.
The league had to create a new model just over a year after it announced its 3-5-5 version — three permanent and five rotating opponents — in June 2022 since it added Cal, SMU and Stanford starting next season.
“We’ve worked closely with ESPN, our partner, and closely with our three new schools and our campuses,” ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips said of the scheduling model at ACC Tipoff last week. “We’ve had too many iterations to name the number of, but I feel really good about that, while also protecting some very important rivalry games and some rivalry games that we have with other conferences. It’s been the ultimate jigsaw puzzle, but I feel very, very good about that.”
Once the matchups were released, Phillips was excited about what the future holds for the ACC.
““We are extremely excited to welcome Cal, SMU and Stanford to the ACC and look forward to having them compete beginning in the fall of 2024,” Phillips said in a statement. “Throughout the entire scheduling model process, the membership was incredibly thoughtful and purposeful in building a creative, flexible and aggressive conference scheduling model while keeping the student-athlete experience at the forefront. The excitement and anticipation for our teams, alumni and fans will undoubtedly build as we look ahead to the future of this incredible conference.”
NC State was slated to have three partners protected from 2023-2026 — Clemson, Duke and North Carolina — and in the new model it still has three guaranteed opponents for the Wolfpack every season: Duke, North Carolina and Wake Forest. The Pack and Demon Deacons were a protected rivalry that was lost in the previous model, but it returned in the new one.
Here’s what the next seven seasons look like for the Wolfpack:
2024
Home: Duke, Stanford, Syracuse, Wake Forest
Away: Cal, Clemson, Georgia Tech, UNC
Non-conference opponents: Western Carolina (8/31), Tennessee (9/7 in Charlotte), Louisiana Tech (9/14) and Northern Illinois (9/28),
2025
Home: Florida State, Georgia Tech, UNC, Virginia Tech
Away: Duke, Miami, Pittsburgh, Wake Forest
Non-conference opponents: East Carolina (8/30), at Appalachian State (9/6), Campbell (10/4), at Notre Dame (TBA).
2026
Home: Cal, Duke, Louisville, Wake Forest
Away: Florida State, UNC, Stanford, Virginia Tech
Non-conference opponents: Florida (9/5), Richmond (9/12), at Vanderbilt (9/19), Appalachian State (9/26).
2027
Home: Clemson, Miami, UNC, Pittsburgh
Away: Duke, Syracuse, Virginia, Wake Forest
Non-conference opponents: North Carolina A&T (9/11), at Texas Tech (9/18).
2028
Home: Boston College, Duke, SMU, Wake Forest
Away: Cal, Clemson, Louisville, UNC
Non-conference opponents: at East Carolina (9/2), Vanderbilt (9/16), Campbell (9/23), at Troy (9/30)
2029
Home: Miami, UNC, Pittsburgh, Virginia
Away: Duke, Florida State, SMU, Wake Forest
Non-conference opponents: at USF (9/8), Notre Dame (10/6)
2030
Home: Duke, Louisville, Stanford, Wake Forest
Away: Boston College, UNC, Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech
Non-conference opponents: Charlotte (9/7), at South Carolina (9/14)
