4 Observations on NC State’s ACC Football Schedule

The ACC officially announced the 2026 conference football schedules for its member teams on Monday night, and we now know when and where the North Carolina State Wolfpack will play.

There's still more than six months to go, but here is an early look at NC State's ACC schedule.

nc state football schedule — Nov 29, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack quarterback Will Wilson (10) makes a touchdown and celebrates with tight end Dante Daniels (87) during the first half of the game against North Carolina Tar Heels at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

NC State's 2026 ACC Football Schedule

Sat Aug 29 vs Virginia (neutral site game in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)

Sat Oct 3 vs Louisville

Sat Oct 10 vs Wake Forest

Sat Oct 17 Bye Week

Fri Oct 23 or Sat Oct 24 at Stanford

Fri Oct 30 or Sat Oct 31 vs Cal

Fri Nov 6 or Sat Nov 7 vs Duke

Sat Nov 14 vs Syracuse

Sat Nov 21 at Florida State

Sat Nov 28 at North Carolina

acc schedul — Dec 6, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; A general view of the signage at Bank of America Stadium before the 2025 ACC Championship game between the Duke Blue Devils and Virginia Cavaliers. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Sat Dec 5 ACC Championship Game (now a noon ET kickoff)

Observations

NC State has an interesting schedule off the bat, starting the season with a conference game against Virginia in Brazil. There's enough to clear up and plenty of unknowns before a season-opener and a conference-opener without having to travel internationally, and now these teams will have to add that to the list.

Technically, Virginia will be the one losing a home game that day, but NC State still gets to make up for the travel. The Wolfpack has a bye week following the opener, then three straight non-conference games.

north carolina state football schedul — Dec 19, 2025; Tampa, FL, USA; NC State Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren looks on against the Memphis Tigers in the first quarter during the Gasparilla Bowl at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

When it returns to conference play, NC State gets two home games in a row, followed by another bye week before making the West Coast trip to Stanford. That's never the trip you want to make, but getting the bye andtwo home games right before is about as manageable as the schedulers can make it.

The Wolfpack plays five home games during ACC play, all coming within the first six weeks of the conference season. That means NC State won't have to leave the state of North Carolina until the week before Thanksgiving, when it embarks on a two-game road trip to close the season against Florida State and North Carolina.

nc state football schedul — Nov 29, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack defensive end Cian Slone (8) at the coin toss before the first half of the game against North Carolina Tar Heels at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

Overall, it's a favorable schedule. The Wolfpack has minimal travel this season and avoids some of the top teams in the conference, such as Miami, Georgia Tech, and SMU. The only one it has to face is Virginia in the opener. Plus, North Carolina State has three games against the fellow North Carolina schools (Wake Forest, Duke, and UNC) to try to establish bragging rights. The schedule could set up for a good season, but NC State will need to perform once it hits the field.

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