The ACC announced the set schedule for each member team’s football season Thursday morning, a week after its reveal of each team’s 10 ACC opponents. According to a statement issued by the ACC, each team will have two byes that are “strategically placed throughout the schedules for maximum flexibility.”
Aside from each game not having a set date, the biggest question answered by today’s announcement was NC State’s nonconference opponent, which will be Liberty. Liberty will have to follow the medical protocol requirements set by the ACC to play the Wolfpack.
NC State’s season begins on the road at Virginia Tech on Sept. 12, with defensive line coach Charley Wiles and cornerbacks coach Brian Mitchell traveling to Blacksburg, Virginia as visitors for the first time since leaving the Hokies. The Wolfpack’s home debut comes the following Saturday against Wake Forest before the team’s first bye on Sept. 26.
After the free week, the Wolfpack has five straight Coastal opponents on the docket. The team travels to Pittsburgh on Oct. 3, then to Virginia on Oct. 10, hosts Duke on Oct. 17 and travels to UNC the following week before hosting Miami off its second bye, which comes during the week of Halloween.
Head coach Dave Doeren’s first matchup against Manny Diaz will be NC State’s marquee home game of the season, a Friday night game that will likely earn a prime-time TV slot on ESPN. The last time the Hurricanes played the Wolfpack, they handed NC State a 27-13 loss on Senior Day in 2016.
Three of the Wolfpack’s last four games will be in Raleigh, as NC State hosts Florida State and Liberty before the team travels to New York to face Syracuse just two days after Thanksgiving. NC State closes the season at home against Georgia Tech on Dec. 5. The ACC Championship is currently set for either Dec. 12 or 19 in Bank of America Stadium.
With the Wolfpack avoiding Clemson and Notre Dame, its schedule for this year looks to be less challenging than initially planned. NC State has a solid chance to flirt with a .500 season after recording only one conference win last season.
For a more in-depth look at NC State’s conference opponents, view our coverage here.
