Early ACC football kickoff times released. Which teams are playing, and when?
College football fans accustomed to normally waiting until two weeks, or less, to learn the starting time of upcoming games received some early planning relief on Thursday.
The ACC announced starting times, and television assignments, for the season’s first three weeks in addition to more information about a handful of games later in the season.
For North Carolina, which is entering its first season under former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, times and television assignments are now known for five of the 12 regular-season games. That starts with an 8 p.m. Labor Day game with TCU and now also includes Friday night games on Oct. 17 at California and Oct. 31 at Syracuse.
N.C. State and Duke will open their seasons on Aug. 28 (a Thursday night) with the Wolfpack playing host to East Carolina on ACC Network while the Blue Devils play Elon at Wallace Wade Stadium on ACC Network Extra.
Coming off a 9-4 season and a third consecutive bowl appearance, Duke gets national spotlight for its second regular-season game, a noon kickoff against Illinois at Wallace Wade. With the Illini projected as a preseason Top 25 team after going 10-3 last season, the game at Duke will be televised by either ABC or ESPN.
Wolfpack fans know times and TV info for four of their games, including a Friday night game at Carter-Finley Stadium on Nov. 21 against Florida State on ESPN.
Wake Forest opens its season Aug. 29, a Friday night, against Kennesaw State on ACC Network. The Demon Deacons play Western Carolina on Sept. 6 and continue their four-game homestand to open the season on Sept. 11, a Thursday night, against N.C. State.
Here are the dates, times and TV info announced thus far for N.C. State, Duke, UNC and Wake Forest.
NC State
Thursday, August 28: East Carolina, 7 p.m., ACC Network
Saturday, Sept. 6: Virginia, noon, ESPN2
Thursday, Sept. 11: at Wake Forest, 7:30 p.m., ESPN
Friday, Nov. 21: Florida State, 8 p.m., ESPN
Duke
Thursday, August 28: Elon, 7:30 p.m., ACC Network Extra
Saturday, Sept. 6: Illinois, noon, ABC or ESPN
Saturday, Sept. 13: at Tulane, 8 p.m., ESPN2
UNC
Monday, Sept. 1: TCU, 8 p.m., ESPN
Saturday, Sept. 6: at Charlotte, 7 p.m., ESPN+
Saturday, Sept. 13: Richmond, 3:30 p.m., ACC Network
Friday, Oct. 17: at California, 10:30 p.m., ESPN
Friday, Oct. 31: at Syracuse, 7:30 p.m., ESPN
Wake Forest
Friday, August 29: Kennesaw State, 7 p.m., ACC Network
Saturday, Sept. 6: Western Carolina, 2 p.m., ACC Network Extra
Thursday, Sept. 11: NC State, 7:30 p.m., ESPN