NC State’s 2026-27 men’s basketball season starts with a familiar kind of soft landing, but it won’t stay that way for long.
Justin Gainey’s first game as the Wolfpack’s head coach comes Nov. 2 against Campbell in Raleigh, kicking off a 32-game regular season that includes 18 home dates. The early stretch should give Gainey a chance to settle in, with four straight games at home before NC State heads to Nassau, Bahamas, for the Baha Mar Championship and a matchup with Murray State.
The nonconference slate gets a lot louder after that. NC State is set to face three SEC opponents, beginning with South Carolina at home on Dec. 1 in the fourth annual ACC-SEC Challenge. Five days later, the Wolfpack travel to Nashville to play Tennessee, then close that run on Dec. 19 in Jackson against Ole Miss.
There’s also a major in-state date on the calendar. NC State and UNC will meet Dec. 15 in the inaugural Tobacco Road Classic, a non-conference game in Greensboro that marks the first regular-season meeting between the schools there since the Big 4 Tournament on Nov. 30, 1979.
The Tar Heels and Wolfpack were limited to one meeting last season, the first time that had happened since 1919. NC State made the most of that lone shot, crushing UNC 82-58 on Feb. 17 in Raleigh. This year’s conference meeting comes Jan. 9 in Chapel Hill.
The ACC portion of the schedule brings its own tests right away. Gainey’s first conference road trip sends NC State to Miami on Dec. 29, and the Wolfpack open the new year with back-to-back home games against Clemson on Jan. 2 and Pitt on Jan. 6.
The full schedule also includes home dates against ETSU, Presbyterian, Troy, Norfolk State, Elon, UNCG, Alabama A&M, SMU, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, Cal and Stanford, with all home games listed in capital letters. Tip-off times have not been finalized. NC State’s complete slate is below:
Nov. 2 CAMPBELL
Nov. 6 ETSU
Nov. 10 PRESBYTERIAN
Nov. 13 TROY
Nov. 19 Murray State (Baha Mar Championship)
Nov. 20 Seton Hall/Wisconsin (Baha Mar Championship)
Nov. 25 NORFOLK STATE
Nov. 28 ELON
Dec. 1 SOUTH CAROLINA (ACC/SEC Challenge)
Dec. 6 Tennessee
Dec. 11 UNCG (William Neal Reynolds Coliseum)
Dec. 15 North Carolina (Tobacco Road Classic)
Dec. 19 Ole Miss
Dec. 22 ALABAMA A&M
Dec. 29 Miami
Jan. 2 CLEMSON
Jan. 6 PITT
Jan. 9 North Carolina
Jan. 12 SMU
Jan. 19 Georgia Tech
Jan. 23 WAKE FOREST
Jan. 27 Cal
Jan. 30 Stanford
In Other News...
NC State Fans Will Love Drake Thomas Latest Statement Against Drake Maye
Drake Thomas keeps finding his way into big moments against Drake Maye, and Sunday was another one. The former NC State linebacker was all over the field for the Seattle Seahawks in their 13-10 win over the New England Patriots, finishing with 9 tackles, a sack, a tackle for loss and a quarterback hit while helping slow down a quarterback Wolfpack fans know well.
It was Thomass fourth career win over Maye, a run that now stretches from two college victories at NC State to two NFL wins in Seattle, including the recent Super Bowl LX. For an undrafted player in 2023 who has carved out a real role with the Seahawks, it was another reminder of how far his game has come, and a fresh reason for NC State fans to keep tabs on him after he finished the 2025 season with strong defensive numbers and landed a two-year extension. [Read more 🡒]
NC State Unveils A Tribute Uniform For A Powerful Anniversary
NC State will take the field against Richmond in a special black camo Wolfpack Warriors uniform, a one-game tribute tied to the 25th anniversary of 9/11. The look is part of Adidas Honor & Support series and is meant to reflect both the programs military heritage and North Carolinas long military tradition.
The uniform includes crossed swords and an American flag, along with seven stars symbolizing major military installations across the state. It is the kind of alternate that carries more weight than style alone, a reminder that some game-day reveals are built to honor something far bigger than football. [Read more 🡒]
NC State Needs A Businesslike Response Against A Dangerous Richmond Defense
Richmond arrives with a 2-0 start, a spot in the FCS Coaches Poll and a place in the SP+ top-25, which is enough to demand NC States attention even before you get to the matchup details. The Spiders defense still looks like the defining part of the team, with preseason Defensive Player of the Year Camden Byrd anchoring a group that can make a game uncomfortable if an opponent gets loose or careless.
The offense has not been nearly as dynamic, and it is trying to find consistency around first-year starter Ashten Snelsire. Richmond is also working through injuries at key spots on defense, adding another layer of uncertainty to a team that has already shown it can survive and compete even while shorthanded, which is exactly why NC State has to treat this like a business trip and not a formality. [Read more 🡒]