NC State Loses Future Football Opponent as Conference Schedules Shift

RALEIGH — The ripple effect of the SEC moving to a nine-game conference schedule continues to take its toll on teams from other leagues, particularly those in the ACC without annual matchups against SEC schools built in because of geography. NC State lost a second future opponent from the renowned league on Monday, forcing it to look ahead and rework its schedule.

The Wolfpack won't play South Carolina on the road in 2030 or in Carter-Finley Stadium in 2031, according to a report from The Wolfpacker. The Gamecocks are one of the SEC schools with a built-in annual Power Conference game, as they play Clemson at the end of the season every year.

The impact of the change on NC State

Oct 11, 2025; South Bend, Indiana, USA; NC State Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren claps as he walks onto the field against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the second half at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images | Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

South Carolina became the third future SEC opponent to call off a home-and-home series with the Wolfpack and the second since that league announced changes to its scheduling policy. It started before the changes, as Florida backed out of a 2026 and 2032 home-and-home in October 2024.

The second domino to fall was in December. The Georgia Bulldogs, another one of the SEC schools with a built-in matchup against an ACC team, in this case Georgia Tech, agreed to cancel a series with NC State scheduled for 2033 and 2034 that would've started with a trip for the Wolfpack to Sanford Stadium in 2033.

Mar 29, 2024; Dallas, TX, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack athletic director Boo Corrigan before the semifinals of the South Regional of the 2024 NCAA Tournament against the Marquette Golden Eagles at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The Wolfpack does still have an SEC matchup on the books for 2026 against a rising program that likely didn't look to be as competitive when the games were originally scheduled. NC State is scheduled to make a trip to Nashville to face the Vanderbilt Commodores after their historic 2025 season. After the 2026 tilt, the Commodores will come to Raleigh in 2028.

The ACC itself faced a bizarre scheduling dilemma with some of the teams already having too many Power Conference matchups scheduled, plus the conference's relationship with Notre Dame complicated things greatly. In 2026, some members of the league are set to play eight conference games still, while others, including NC State, are slated to bump up to nine, falling in line with the other Power Conferences.

Nov 15, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; NC State Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren looks on against Miami Hurricanes during the second quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The changes with South Carolina mean the Wolfpack must get back into searching for a Power Conference opponent outside of the ACC for the 2030 season, as a scheduled matchup with Notre Dame, assuming it maintains a relationship with the ACC, helps NC State meet the requirements for the 2031 campaign.

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