With the release of the 2021 ACC football schedule, let’s take a quick look at the schedules for the four North Carolina-based ACC teams: UNC, NC State, Wake Forest and Duke.
North Carolina
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- Sept. 2/3 – at Virginia Tech
- Sept. 11 – Georgia State
- Sept. 18 – Virginia
- Sept. 25 – at Georgia Tech
- Oct. 2 – Duke
- Oct. 9 – Florida State
- Oct. 16 – Miami
- Oct. 30 – at Notre Dame
- Nov. 6 – Wake Forest (non-conference)
- Nov. 11 – at Pitt
- Nov. 20 – Wofford
- Nov. 26 – at NC State
The 2021 campaign could be the most anticipated season in UNC football history; despite the departures of several key players, Sam Howell returns with plenty of firepower and the arrival of the program’s historical recruiting class.
The schedule sets up pretty nicely for the Tar Heels, too. Back in the divisions, there’s no Clemson. Notre Dame looms on Oct. 30; however, UNC has three straight home games and an open weekend to prepare. The Oct. 16 game with Miami seems ripe for divisional importance as well.
NC State
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- Sept. 2 – USF
- Sept. 11 – at Mississippi State
- Sept. 18 – Furman
- Sept. 25 – Clemson
- Oct. 2 – Louisiana Tech
- Oct. 16 – at Boston College
- Oct. 23 – at Miami
- Oct. 30 – Louisville
- Nov. 6 – at Florida State
- Nov. 13 – at Wake Forest
- Nov. 20 – Syracuse
- Nov. 26 – North Carolina
Well, after a one-year break, the Clemson Tigers return to NC State’s schedule — in Raleigh on Sept. 25. The Wolfpack also have an early-season, non-conference tilt with Mississippi State, down in Starksville.
NC State will have an open weekend (Oct. 9) before launching full-time into ACC action.
Wake Forest
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- Sept. 3 – Old Dominion
- Sept. 11 – Norfolk State
- Sept. 18 – Florida State
- Sept. 24 – at Virginia
- Oct. 2 – Louisville
- Oct. 9 – at Syracuse
- Oct. 23 – at Army
- Oct. 30 – Duke
- Nov. 6 – at North Carolina (non-conference)
- Nov. 13 – NC State
- Nov. 20 – at Clemson
- Nov. 27 – at Boston College
Wake Forest will start out slow with two lower-tier non-conference games, before ramping up to Florida State on Sept. 18.
Late October and into the middle of November could prove to be an interesting time for the Demon Deacons. During the span of three weeks, Wake Forest will take on the three NC-based ACC teams, back-to-back-to-back. Of course, the Nov. 6 matchup at UNC will be a non-conference affiar.
Duke
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- Sept. 4 – at Charlotte
- Sept. 11 – North Carolina A&T
- Sept. 18 – Northwestern
- Sept. 25 – Kansas
- Oct. 2 – at North Carolina
- Oct. 9 – Georgia Tech
- Oct. 16 – at Virginia
- Oct. 30 – at Wake Forest
- Nov. 6 – Pitt
- Nov. 13 – at Virginia Tech
- Nov. 18 – Louisville
- Nov. 27 – Miami
Duke will open the 2021 season with four consecutive non-conference games — over the span of four weeks. Three of those contests will take place in Durham; that includes two matchups with Power Five programs Northwestern, which just extended Pat Fitzgerald for 10 more years, and Kansas. (Welcome to town, Les Miles!)
ACC Football 2021: Composite Schedule
2021_Composite_Football_Schedule
Team-by-team schedule: 2021
2021_Team_By_Team_Football_Schedule