College Football Season Starts Soon For UNC, NC State: Schedules

NORTH CAROLINA— NCAA Division I college football begins this week, with fans of University of North Carolina and North Carolina State University eager to kick off the season.

NC State will open its football slate on Thursday, Sept. 2 against the University of South Florida at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh, according to the school’s schedule as shared by FBSchedules.com.

North Carolina kicks off its season on Friday, Sept. 3 against Virginia Tech at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Virginia. The preseason Associated Press poll shows North Carolina is ranked No. 10 this season.

Defending national champion Alabama has the AP poll’s No. 1 ranking. The Crimson Tide are followed by Oklahoma, Clemson, Ohio State and Georgia in the top five.

The USA Today/Coaches preseason poll has the No. 2 and No. 3 teams switched, with Clemson ranked ahead of Oklahoma there. Alabama, Ohio State and Georgia have the same preseason rank in both polls.

College football returns to a more traditional schedule in 2021, a year after the coronavirus caused a number of game cancellations and schedule alterations.

Last year, games in most conferences were limited to only conference play. The Big Ten and Pac-12 seasons started late.

Even Notre Dame, long known as a football independent, joined the Atlantic Coast Conference for one season only to keep playing amid the pandemic. The Fighting Irish are back as an independent this year.

Here's North Carolina's Full Season Schedule:

• Sept. 3, 6 p.m., Virginia Tech Hokies, Away
• Sept. 11, 7:30 p.m., Georgia State Panthers, Home
• Sept. 18, 7:30 p.m., Virginia Cavaliers, Home
• Sept. 25, TBA, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Away
• Oct. 2, TBA, Duke Blue Devils, Home
• Oct. 9, TBA, Florida State Seminoles, Home
• Oct. 16, TBA, Miami Hurricanes, Home
• Oct. 30, 7:30 p.m., Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Away
• Nov. 6, TBA, Wake Forest Demon Deacons, Home
• Nov. 11, 7:30 p.m., Pitt Panthers, Away
• Nov. 20,TBA, Wofford Terriers, Home
• Nov. 26, 3:30 p.m. or 7:30 p.m., NC State Wolfpack, Away

Here's NC State's Full Season Schedule:

• Sept. 2, 7:30 p.m., USF Bulls, Home
• Sept. 11, 7 p.m., Mississippi State Bulldogs, Away
• Sept. 18, 7:30 p.m., Furman Paladins, Home
• Sept. 25, TBA, Clemson Tigers, Home
• Oct. 2, TBA, Louisiana Tech Bulldogs, Home
• Oct. 16, TBA, Boston College Eagles, Away
• Oct. 23, TBA, Miami Hurricanes, Away
• Oct. 30, TBA, Louisville Cardinals, Home
• Nov. 6, TBA, Florida State Seminoles, Away
• Nov. 13, TBA, Wake Forest Demon Deacons, Away
• Nov. 20, TBA, Syracuse Orange, Home
• Nov. 26, 3:30 or 7:30 p.m., North Carolina Tar Heels, Home