3 days ago
UNC basketball, NC State might not play twice each ACC season. Here's why
UNC basketball and N.C. State have played 249 times over the last 112 years, meeting twice every season since 1920 in one of the ACC's oldest rivalries.
That streak could be coming to an end for the Tobacco Road rivals after the ACC announced May 7 that it's moving from a 20-game conference schedule to 18 games, starting with the 2025-26 season.
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With the changes, the Tar Heels' annual home-and-away series with the Wolfpack could be in jeopardy.
Each team will play one primary partner both home and away, as well as one variable partner home and away. The variable partner will be determined each season, according to the ACC. Teams will play one game, home or away, against 14 of the remaining 15 teams annually.
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UNC's 169 wins against N.C. State are the most by the Tar Heels against any opponent, but Duke is UNC's primary partner and Wake Forest is considered the Wolfpack's primary partner.
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The ACC, which has rolled out a 20-game league schedule since the 2019-20 season, last featured an 18-game format from 2012-19. The change also allows teams the possibility of bolstering their nonconference schedules with two more games against quality opponents.
'As a league, we have been transparent about the importance of ACC Men's Basketball and specifically our commitment to ensuring it is best positioned for the future,' ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips said in a ACC-issued statement.
'Moving to an 18-game conference schedule is a direct result of our ongoing strategic review and analysis and provides our schools a better balance of non-conference and conference games, while also allowing them more autonomy in the scheduling process. This decision reflects our on-going prioritization to do what's best for ACC Men's Basketball, and we appreciate the thoughtfulness of our membership and the support from our television partners.'
The decision comes after the ACC got four of its 18 teams in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. At 22%, it was the conference's lowest percentage of teams to make March Madness since the field expanded to 64 teams in 1985.
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The league said a breakdown of 2025-26 opponents and a full league schedule will be announced at a later date.
Rodd Baxley covers Duke, North Carolina and N.C. State for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding those teams? Send them to rbaxley@
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: ACC men's basketball schedule could change UNC, NC State rivalry
