NC State men’s soccer finished the 2023 regular season 6-9-3 and did not participate in the postseason. Yet, there is a great deal of excitement around the program in 2024, mostly due to the hiring of new head coach Marc Hubbard. Hubbard joins the Wolfpack after spending the past nine seasons at New Hampshire, where he posted a record of 115-32-21, and led it to seven straight NCAA Tournament appearances.
Excitement for the season also grew when the team dropped their official schedule on July 10. As Wolfpack fans prepare for the upcoming season, let’s break down every notable game that the red-and-white will play this year.
Non-conference games
The first game of the regular season will be at Dail Soccer Stadium against High Point on Thursday, Aug. 22. In the 2023 season, High Point went 10-4-5 and lost to Charlotte in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. This will be an exciting start to the season for the Wolfpack as it will be Hubbard’s first game as the team’s head coach with the added challenge of facing an NCAA Tournament team.
The team’s first away game of the year will see NC State travel to Harrisonburg, Virginia to take on James Madison on Aug. 31. In 2023, the Dukes had a 10-5-5 record and lost 1-0 to Loyola Marymount in the third round of the NCAA Tournament. Hubbard’s first road game as head coach of the Wolfpack presents an opportunity for him to make a statement win.
Conference slate
In the past, NC State’s ACC schedule was filled with top-25 programs that continually made the NCAA Tournament. That remains the same in 2024, with California, Stanford and SMU — all competitive teams rich with college soccer tradition — joining the ACC.
The Wolfpack will open conference play on Sept. 6 at home against Cal. NC State has never played the Golden Bears, who went 7-6-5 last season. Following the home opener, NC State will have a more difficult stretch of conference games.
This difficult stretch would make being a first-year head coach in the ACC no easy task. However, this also means that Hubbard has several opportunities to make statement wins and put NC State on a strong upward trajectory in his first year.
NC State will have several opportunities to win big games while hosting three teams in the postseason coaches poll — No. 20 Duke, No. 10 SMU and No. 24 Louisville. The biggest challenge and opportunity for the Wolfpack at home will come from SMU with the Mustangs being led by second-team All-American Bailey Sparks at the forward position.
Winning big at home is one thing, but winning big on the road is another. NC State will have its hands full in its road games this season. The red-and-white will travel to No. 6 North Carolina, No. 5 Stanford and No. 15 Wake Forest.
Overall, there is a lot for Wolfpack fans to be excited about for this upcoming season. There are several games where NC State can make a big statement and make its case for an NCAA Tournament appearance. Winning games against vaunted teams like UNC and SMU can go a long way in establishing the Pack as a contender in the ACC.
