Florida State Fans Just Got A Clearer Look At Loucks ACC Test

Florida State Seminoles' basketball team gears up for a challenging ACC season with a balanced schedule of high-stakes home and road games, setting the stage for an electrifying tournament bid.

Florida State’s men’s basketball team now knows what its ACC road looks like, and the league slate comes with a clean split: nine home games and nine away games across 18 conference dates.

The Seminoles open ACC play at home against Syracuse on Dec. 29, then head out to the West Coast for games at Cal on Jan. 6 and Stanford on Jan. 9. From there, Florida State returns to Tallahassee for a Jan. 13 matchup with North Carolina.

Luke Loucks said the schedule brings the kind of challenge the Seminoles are looking for.

"We're really excited about our ACC schedule and the opportunity to compete against some of the best programs in the country," head coach Luke Loucks said via release. "This league is deep, and every night is going to challenge us. That's what we want.

"We're especially excited for some big-time games in Tallahassee. We need to pack the Tuck every game.

When our arena is loud, it's a huge advantage for us, and our guys feed off that energy. We can't wait to see our fans there."

Florida State’s January continues with a road game at Wake Forest on Jan. 16, then home dates against Virginia Tech on Jan. 20 and Notre Dame on Jan. 26.

The Seminoles also visit Clemson on Jan. 23 and close the month at home against Pitt on Jan. 30.

February starts with consecutive trips to NC State on Feb. 3 and Miami on Feb. 6.

After that, the Seminoles host Clemson on Feb. 13, travel to Duke on Feb. 16, and return home for Louisville on Feb. 21 and Georgia Tech on Feb. 23.

The final stretch includes road games at Virginia on Feb. 27 and Boston College on March 3, followed by the regular-season finale at home against Miami on March 6. The ACC Tournament is set for March 9-13 in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Before the conference grind begins, Florida State will work through a 14-game non-conference schedule. The Seminoles open the season Nov. 2 against Florida A&M in Tampa and then start a six-game homestand Nov. 6 against Troy.

They also have three preseason exhibition games on the calendar. Florida State begins Oct. 10 against Mississippi State in Pensacola, faces Auburn on Oct. 14 in the Ballin in Boutwell preseason event in Birmingham, Alabama, and hosts LSU on Oct. 24 at the Donald L. Tucker Center.

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