NC State football announces three ACC dates, home opener change
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- N.C. State moved its 2026 home opener against Richmond to Friday, Sept. 11.
- The Wolfpack will play at Stanford on Friday, Oct. 23 and host California on Oct. 31.
- Season opener vs. Virginia in Brazil will kick off at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN.
N.C. State received more clarity on its 2026 football schedule this week.
The program announced Friday morning the dates for its three-game stretch that were listed in flex spots, and one change for the home opener.
The Pack’s home opener against Richmond was moved from Saturday, Sept. 12, to Friday, Sept. 11. This will be the 21st meeting between N.C. State and Richmond, with the most recent taking place in 2013 at Carter-Finley Stadium.
N.C. State will make its first trip to Stanford on Friday, Oct. 23. The Wolfpack won the first meeting against the now-ACC team, 59-28, in a homecoming matchup.
The Pack hosts California on Saturday, Oct. 31 (Halloween costumes, anyone?) for homecoming. Duke comes to Raleigh on Saturday, Nov. 7, for the program’s annual Military Appreciation game.
The Golden Bears’ trip to Raleigh will be their first visit to Carter-Finley. N.C. State won the first meeting, 24-23, in 2024. CJ Bailey led the team with 306 passing yards and led the Wolfpack past Fernando Mendoza. Mendoza went on to win the 2025 national championship and Heisman trophy with Indiana.
N.C. State seeks to pick up its first win over Duke since 2020, when the Wolfpack picked up a 31-20 victory. The Blue Devils have won three straight contests and five of the last six.
Kickoff time for NC State vs Virginia in Brazil
Last week, the team learned its season opener against Virginia in Brazil will kick off at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN. N.C. State plays immediately after the North Carolina-TCU game in Ireland, which is scheduled for a noon start.
The rest of the schedule is already set, pending any additional changes. No times or television designations have been announced for the remaining games. Those are expected in the coming months.
Head coach Dave Doeren enters his 14th season with the Wolfpack, while the team retained Bailey, who will be a third-year starter.
