One college football team from North Carolina’s going to the Big House. Another to the Rose Bowl. And still another will play under the shadow of Touchdown Jesus.
The 2023 college football season is still several months away, but recent schedule releases and the start of spring ball has us itching for the calendar to shift back into full football mode.
Here are a dozen intriguing non-conference games involving teams from North Carolina that we’re circling on our calendars:
East Carolina at Michigan
Saturday, Sept. 2
Has it really been 16 years since little ol’ Appalachian State traveled to Ann Arbor and knocked off the mighty Wolverines in front of more than 100,000 fans at the Big House? Chances are this year’s version of Michigan won’t be overlooking a season opener against a non-Power Five opponent from North Carolina like they may have in 2007.
ECU has been on the upswing the past few years under coach Mike Houston, beating BYU on the road last fall and capping an eight-win campaign with a Birmingham Bowl win over Coastal Carolina. It will be interesting to gauge where the Pirates stand against one of the best college programs in the nation, with a new quarterback under center after the Holton Ahlers’ departure.
North Carolina vs. South Carolina
Saturday, Sept. 2 * Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium
The Tar Heels flirted with the College Football Playoff, and quarterback Drake Maye put his name in the Heisman Trophy conversation with last year’s 9-1 start. But UNC went on to lose four straight to end the season, including heart-breakers against NC State and Oregon.
A win in the Duke’s Mayo Classic could wash away some of the sour taste from how last year ended. A
revamped UNC defense will face another quarterback who has heard some Heisman hype in his career, USC’s Spencer Rattler. UNC leads the overall series 35-20-4 but the Gamecocks have current bragging rights and have won eight of the last 11 meetings.
Appalachian State at North Carolina
Saturday, Sept. 9
Is it possible that last year’s game between the Mountaineers and Tar Heels in Boone could be considered the best contest ever played within the borders of North Carolina? It certainly has to be in the conversation after UNC held on to win 63-61, despite giving up 40 – FORTY! – points in the fourth quarter.
This year’s rematch comes during Week 2 of the season, in Chapel Hill. Appalachian State is no stranger to playing the giant-killer role, beating Texas A&M last year in College Station the week after falling to the Heels. App nipped UNC 34-31 in Chapel Hill in 2019.
Notre Dame at NC State
Saturday, Sept. 9
The Fighting Irish will play three North Carolina teams this season, starting with the Wolfpack. The only other time Notre Dame paid a visit to Carter-Finley Stadium (in 2016), Hurricane Matthew joined the party. NCSU slogged to a 10-3 victory in Noah’s ark-like conditions.
This will be a challenging home opener for the Pack after playing at Connecticut the Saturday prior. Will State have an established quarterback when the Irish come calling?
Wake Forest at Notre Dame
Saturday, Nov. 18
Speaking of established quarterbacks, Wake Forest had one for what seemed like 10 years in Sam Hartman, who tossed 110 touchdown passes and amassed nearly 13,000 passing yards as as Demon Deacon. Somehow Hartman still has a year of eligibility left, and he’ll be in the opposing huddle for this one.
Hartman transferred to Notre Dame in the off-season, and the Irish have hopes he can lead the program back into CFP contention. Meanwhile, Wake looks ready to hand the keys to its offense to Hartman’s most recent backup, Mitch Griffis, who has appeared in 14 games in his Wake career.
NC Central at UCLA
Saturday, Sept. 16
The Eagles seem to be on a tour of high-profile football locales these days. Central beat Jackson State in last year’s Celebration Bowl in front of nearly 50,000 at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium (home of the Atlanta Falcons).
They’ll visit the Rose Bowl early this season to face the Bruins in their final season as a Pac-12 Conference member. It will be only the second time UCLA has faced an HBCU opponent.
Central, which finished ranked in the top 20 among FCS schools a year ago, also will play in Lucas Oil Stadium (home of the Indianapolis Colts) in the Circle City Classic against Mississippi Valley State on Sept. 23.
Charlotte at Maryland & Charlotte at Florida
Sept. 9 & Sept. 23
New coach Biff Poggi will get quite an initiation into Charlotte football before his team even begins its first trip through the American Athletic Conference, facing a Big Ten foe in Week 2 and an SEC opponent two weeks later.
Charlotte hosted Maryland a year ago, giving up 56 points in a loss. This year’s unit features four transfers from Maryland. The 49ers, who have played South Carolina, Kentucky and Tennessee already from the SEC, will meet the Florida Gators for the first time.
Western Carolina at Arkansas
Saturday, Sept. 2
The Catamounts, coming off their best season in five years, will aim to replicate a little of the magic that App State and other Sun Belt Conference companions conjured last season – surprising a Power Five school on its home turf in early September.
WCU plays at the FCS level and had one of the top running backs in the Southern Conference last season in Desmond Reid, now a sophomore. Arkansas struggled to a 7-6 campaign a year ago amid higher expectations, losing to Liberty at home 21-19 and getting by FCS Missouri State 38-27.
NC Central at NC A&T
Saturday, Sept. 9
One of the more overlooked rivalries involving in-state teams will renew for the 95th time. Last year, the Eagles and Aggies played in Charlotte in the Duke’s Mayo Classic (and will again in 2027). This year, the game moves back to a campus site.
Central won 28-13 in 2022, ending a four-game win streak in the series for A&T. The Aggies lead the all-time series 53-36-5.
East Carolina at Appalachian State
Saturday, Sept. 16
We would love to see this match-up a lot more (and secretly wonder if ECU might be better served in the Sun Belt Conference where regional rivalries and compelling match-ups would abound). The Pirates beat App State’s conference partner, Coastal Carolina, to close last season. The Mountaineers won the last meeting against ECU in 2021 on their home turf.
Honorable Mention
- Elon at Wake Forest (Aug. 31): the first college game of the season to be played within the state of North Carolina will pit schools separated by an hour’s drive on I-40
- Marshall at East Carolina (Sept. 16): Former Conference USA partners renew their rivalry in Greenville.
- Vanderbilt at Wake Forest (Sept. 9): The Brainiac Bowl, part one.
- Northwestern at Duke (Sept. 16): The Brainiac Bowl, part two.
- Minnesota at UNC (Sept. 16): The Heels tangle with a solid Big Ten West foe at home.
- Appalachian State at Wyoming (Sept. 23): The Mountaineers and Cowboys, separated by 2,000-plus miles, have a little football history, with App winning a 2015 meeting and Wyoming capturing a 2004 game when ASU was still an FCS program.
- Campbell at North Carolina (Nov. 4): An NC version of a David-vs.-Goliath story, with the Fighting Camels hoping the Heels are looking ahead to future games at Clemson and NC State.
