NC State’s non-conference schedule is starting to fill out, and another in-state matchup has surfaced.
Elon has been added to the Wolfpack’s slate for Nov. 28, according to the Phoenix’s recent schedule release, though NC State has not confirmed the game yet. That gives the Wolfpack three in-state non-conference opponents on the books so far: UNCG, UNC and now Elon.
The addition is notable because NC State has not played more than two in-state non-conference games since 2009. Last season, the Wolfpack played three such games - NC Central, UNCG and UNC-A.
The UNC game is the one that jumps off the page. It looks unusual at first glance to see Carolina listed as a non-conference opponent, but the ACC’s new scheduling format made it possible. Starting in 2025-26, the league cut its men’s basketball conference schedule from 20 games to 18, creating more room for non-conference games and eliminating automatic home-and-home series for most matchups.
Under the new setup, each school has one permanent primary partner for annual home-and-home games - Duke for UNC and Wake Forest for NC State - plus one rotating variable home-and-home opponent. The rest of the league is mostly single-game matchups, and one team is left off the schedule entirely. That change meant the longtime State-Carolina series was no longer locked in.
Last season was the first time since 1919 that the Tar Heels and Wolfpack met only once in the regular season, with NC State winning 82-58 in Raleigh. This season, they were scheduled to meet once in ACC play in Chapel Hill. Now the Greensboro game gives the rivalry two regular-season meetings in 2026-27, and again the following year.
UNC coach Michael Malone and NC State coach Justin Gainey both made clear they wanted the rivalry preserved.
Malone said “the fans have spoken, the administrators have spoken, the legislators have spoken that this game matters.”
Gainey said “what an opportunity to come back to tournament town.”
State lawmakers had pushed to keep in-state rivalries intact, and Greensboro - set to host the 2027 ACC Tournament - offered a neutral-site setting with deep ACC ties.
There’s another wrinkle here, too: both programs are being led by first-year head coaches. It’s the first time that’s happened in the series since 1946-47.
Malone came in after winning an NBA title with the Denver Nuggets and replacing Hubert Davis. Gainey took over after ‘The Snake’ left for LSU.
The Greensboro game on Dec. 15 is a true non-conference matchup at a neutral site. It will be the first regular-season meeting between the schools there since the Big Four Tournament on Nov. 30, 1979, and their last game in Greensboro came in the 1998 ACC Tournament. Carolina leads the series there 10-4 against NC State.
The two teams will also meet once in ACC play at the Smith Center. With Greensboro also set to host the 2027 Tobacco Road Classic, the setup gives fans two games without forcing either program to squeeze an extra home date into a limited non-conference schedule under the NCAA’s 32-game regular-season cap.
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The pace of the climb is set, too, with the Wolfpack expected to reach the tie in the eighth game of the 2026 season against California before moving past the mark the following week against Duke. For a program that has valued stability and steady success, the significance goes beyond a record book note. It is another reminder that Doerens tenure has become one of the defining stretches in NC State football history, even as the next milestone is still just ahead. [Read more 🡒]
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Caden Fordham, Garrett Bradbury and Kentavius Street were among the other former NC State players to see the field and help their teams in varying roles. For Wolfpack followers, the preseason is offering more than just a glimpse of where those players landed after Raleigh - it is also a reminder of how much NC State talent continues to show up when NFL teams start sorting out their depth charts. [Read more 🡒]
CJ Bailey Knows What NC State Must Prove In The Opener
CJ Bailey has been around long enough to know the first in-conference game can say plenty about where a team stands, and the third-year NC State starting quarterback made clear this week that the opener against Virginia is about more than just getting into league play. Meeting with the media, Bailey talked through the Wolfpacks mindset, his own growth as a player and what he sees in Virginia, giving a veteran quarterbacks perspective on a game that already carries weight for both sides.
Bailey also touched on former teammates and the competitive edge that usually comes with a matchup like this, where familiar faces and fresh stakes tend to sharpen everything around the field. For NC State, the challenge is not just winning the opener but showing the kind of consistency and poise that tells the rest of the conference the Wolfpack are ready for what comes next. [Read more 🡒]