Florida State now has the full picture for Luke Loucks’ second season, and the ACC slate gives the Seminoles a real chance to build momentum early before the grind of February arrives.
The conference schedule, released Wednesday afternoon, opens with a home game against Syracuse on Dec. 29.
From there, FSU heads west for back-to-back road trips at Cal on Jan. 6 and at Stanford on Jan. 9, before returning home for North Carolina on Jan. 13.
Here’s the full ACC schedule for Florida State:
Dec. 29: vs Syracuse
Jan. 6: at Cal
Jan. 9: at Stanford
Jan. 13: vs North Carolina
Jan. 16: at Wake Forest
Jan. 20: vs Virginia Tech
Jan. 23: at Clemson
Jan. 26: vs Notre Dame
Jan. 30: vs Pitt
Feb. 3: at NC State
Feb. 6: at Miami
Feb. 13: vs Clemson
Feb. 16: at Duke
Feb. 21: vs Louisville
Feb. 23: vs Georgia Tech
Feb. 27: at Virginia
Mar. 3: at Boston College
Mar. 6: vs Miami
On paper, that’s a manageable opening stretch for Florida State. The first league game comes in Tallahassee against Syracuse, now led by former Orange guard Gerry McNamara, and the Seminoles could stack wins before the calendar flips to February.
The West Coast trip is the early wrinkle. ACC teams have not had an easy time with the Cal-Stanford swing, and that road stretch could be one of the tougher spots on the schedule. Even so, Florida State has a chance to be sitting at 8-1 or 9-0 in conference play before the middle of the season, with the North Carolina home game on Jan. 13 standing out as one of the most attention-grabbing dates on the slate.
That UNC matchup carries its own intrigue because the Tar Heels enter under first-year head coach Michael Malone, who won an NBA championship with the Denver Nuggets in 2023. How that translates to college basketball will be one of the bigger questions around that game.
If Florida State wants to put itself in position to chase the ACC and NCAA Tournament conversation, the standard through the first half of the schedule is clear: 7-2 at minimum.
The back half is where things tighten. February brings a difficult run that includes NC State, Miami, Clemson, Duke, Louisville, Georgia Tech, and Virginia. Road games in North Carolina are never easy, and that Georgia Tech home game comes on short rest after a Sunday matchup with Louisville.
Still, there are openings. NC State has a new head coach, and the roster isn’t overwhelming. Georgia Tech, too, is one of the more manageable names on the board, even if the quick turnaround makes it trickier.
Florida State also avoids SMU this season after playing the Mustangs twice a year ago. That matters in a league where every edge counts.
All told, this schedule looks favorable enough for the Seminoles to make a step forward. A finish around 11-7 or 12-6 feels within reach if the roster talent translates, though the middle of the ACC remains crowded and road wins are always hard to bank. Loucks did set a program record for conference road wins, but this slate will still demand plenty.
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