The ACC released its conference football schedule for 2018 on Wednesday. Here’s some of the highlights to look forward to for the fall.
North Carolina Tar Heels
The Tar Heels will be a healthier, more experienced team in 2018 than they were last season and they’re going to need every advantage they can get with a schedule heavily front-loaded with road games. UNC will play its first two games and five of its first eight away from Kenan Stadium, including a Thursday night matchup at defending Coastal Division champion Miami on Sept. 27. By contrast, the Tar Heels will spend the entire month of November in the state of North Carolina, capped by rivalry showdowns with Duke on Nov. 10 and NC State on Nov. 24. The schedule begins as it did in 2017, with a game against California — only on the opposite coast — on Sept. 1. Coach Larry Fedora’s team then faces an emotional road game in Greenville against in-state rival East Carolina before playing for the first time at Kenan Stadium, against self-proclaimed national champion Central Florida, on Sept. 15. The Tar Heels begin ACC play the following week, on Sept. 22 at home against Pittsburgh.
Sept. 1 at California
Sept. 8 at East Carolina
Sept. 15 UCF
Sept. 22 PITT
Sept. 27 at Miami (Thurs.)
Oct. 13 VIRGINIA TECH
Oct. 20 at Syracuse
Oct. 27 at Virginia
Nov. 3 GEORGIA TECH
Nov. 10 at Duke
Nov. 17 WESTERN CAROLINA
Nov. 24 NC STATE
NC State Wolfpack
NC State opens the season with three home nonconference games, highlighted by a visit from West Virginia on Sept. 15. It will be the first time a Power Five team (other than Notre Dame) has traveled to Carter-Finley for a nonconference game since South Carolina visited in 2009. State hasn’t played a Big 12 team at Carter-Finley since beating Texas Tech in 2003. The Pack travels to Marshall to round out its nonconference slate. Its toughest ACC run starts immediately after the Oct. 13 bye, with a trip to Clemson, followed by a road game at Syracuse, before returning home to face Florida State and Wake Forest in a five-day span.
Sept. 1 JAMES MADISON
Sept. 8 GEORGIA STATE
Sept. 15 WEST VIRGINIA
Sept. 22 at Marshall
Sept. 29 VIRGINIA
Oct. 6 BOSTON COLLEGE
Oct. 20 at Clemson
Oct. 27 at Syracuse
Nov. 3 FLORIDA STATE
Nov. 8 WAKE FOREST (Thurs.)
Nov. 17 at Louisville
Nov. 24 at North Carolina
Duke Blue Devils
For the third time in five years, Duke plays just six home games in 2018. The Blue Devils open the season with two road nonconference games — at Northwestern and Baylor — in the first three weeks. Duke also has to travel to Clemson in November, breaking up a pair of home games against in-state rivals — North Carolina on Nov. 10 and Wake Forest in the Nov. 24 season finale. Duke also benefits from a well-timed bye week, getting Oct. 6 off, which gives the Blue Devils extra time to prepare for Georgia Tech. The annual Bull City Classic against NC Central will be played in Week 3, on Sept. 22, instead of its usual spot on opening night.
Sept. 1 ARMY
Sept. 8 at Northwestern
Sept. 15 at Baylor
Sept. 22 NC CENTRAL
Sept. 29 VIRGINIA TECH
Oct. 13 at Georgia Tech
Oct. 20 VIRGINIA
Oct. 27 at Pitt
Nov. 3 at Miami
Nov. 10 NORTH CAROLINA
Nov. 17 at Clemson
Nov. 24 WAKE FOREST
Wake Forest Demon Deacons
The Deacons open the season on the road at Tulane, then return home for a five-game homestand as they look to build on two straight winning seasons and bowl appearances. Included in that early stretch are games against Notre Dame and defending ACC champion Clemson, along with a Sept. 29 date against Rice, whose defensive coordinator is former NC Central head coach Jerry Mack. Wake will play three Thursday night games — on the road against Tulane and NC State, and at home against Boston College — before finishing the season with a traditional date against Duke on Nov. 24.
Aug. 30 at Tulane (Thurs.)
Sept. 8 TOWSON
Sept. 13 BOSTON COLLEGE (Thurs.)
Sept. 22 NOTRE DAME
Sept. 29 RICE
Oct. 6 CLEMSON
Oct. 20 at Florida State
Oct. 27 at Louisville
Nov. 3 SYRACUSE
Nov. 8 at NC State (Thurs.)
Nov. 17 PITT
Nov. 24 at Duke
The rest of the ACC
As usual, showdowns with SEC foes highlight the ACC’s nonconference schedule. Clemson and Louisville each play a pair of SEC foes. The Tigers travel to Texas A&M to reunite with former FSU coach Jimbo Fisher in Week 2 and close the season at home against South Carolina. Louisville faces Alabama in the opening weekend and finishes with Kentucky. Miami-LSU, Florida State-Florida and Georgia Tech-Georgia round out the showdowns between the two conferences.
The league attempted to spread out the bye weeks so that no team had to face too many opponents coming off a week’s rest. Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, Miami and Wake are the only teams to face two foes coming off a bye. Virginia, Syracuse, Louisville and Boston College don’t play any teams who are coming off the bye. The league also scheduled two matchups — NC State-Clemson and Wake Forest-Florida State — in which both teams are coming off a bye.
