The college football season kicks off this week — finally! — for many of North Carolina’s teams.
As we turn the page from preseason camp to game prep, we survey all of the ranked opponents that appear on the schedules of our state’s teams.
Western Carolina, Wake Forest and Elon will face the most foes who appear in the preseason rankings — four games each.
The Catamounts play three top-10 stalwarts from the FCS — Chattanooga and Furman in conference action, and Montana in the non-conference. Coach Kerwin Bell’s team will open the season Thursday at NC State, which is preseason No. 22 (Coaches Poll) and No. 24 (Associated Press) in the FBS.
Wake Forest will host No. 6 Ole Miss in September. The Deacs also play NC State, Clemson and Miami as they try to bounce back from a tough 2023 finish.
Elon, which missed out on the Stats Perform Top 25 by three points (ending up 26th), will play three ranked conference foes — Richmond, Albany and William & Mary — as well as Western Carolina.
WCU bears the burden of playing the team with the highest preseason ranking. The Catamounts will make a trip to No. 3 Montana on Sept. 21. The Griz played in the FCS title game a year ago before falling to juggernaut South Dakota State.
Chowan might have the toughest month-long stretch among Division II schools. The Hawks will play one final season in the ultra-competitive Gulf South Conference, and must travel to No. 14/18 Delta State (Mississippi), host No. 12/13 West Florida and then go to No. 6/7 Valdosta State (Georgia) over a four-week period in October.
Fayetteville State also will trip to Valdosta in non-conference play. Mars Hill and Wingate both will play Delta State.
Guilford College is the only D3 school playing a ranked opponent. The Quakers are set to visit No. 10 Randolph-Macon.
Here’s a look at each school’s ranked opponents:
FCS Teams
(Associated Press & AFCA Coaches)
Appalachian State
at #14 Clemson
Charlotte
None
Duke
#10 Florida State
at #19 Miami
at #22/24 NC State
East Carolina
None
NC State
at #14 Clemson
vs. #15 Tennessee (at Charlotte)
#19/20 Western Carolina (FCS)
North Carolina
at #10 Florida State
#22/24 NC State
Wake Forest
#6 Ole Miss
#14 Clemson
at #19 Miami
at #22/24 NC State
FCS Teams
(AFCA Coaches and Stats Perform)
Campbell
#12/13 Richmond
at #19/20 Western Carolina
at #15/16 William & Mary
Davidson
None
Elon
#12/13 Richmond
at #14/16 UAlbany
at #15/16 William & Mary
#19/20 Western Carolina
Gardner-Webb
None
North Carolina A&T
at #6 Villanova
at #12/13 Richmond
#15/16 William & Mary
North Carolina Central
None
Western Carolina
at #3 Montana
#8/9 Chattanooga
at #9/12 Furman
at #22/24 NC State (FBS)
Division II Teams
(AFCA Coaches & D2Football.com)
Barton
#9/12 Lenoir-Rhyne
Catawba
#9/12 Lenoir-Rhyne
Chowan
at #6/7 Valdosta State
#12/13 West Florida
at #14/18 Delta State
Elizabeth City State
at #18/20 Virginia Union
Fayetteville State
at #6/7 Valdosta State
Johnson C. Smith
#18/20 Virginia Union
Livingstone
#23/24 Charleston
Lenoir-Rhyne
None
Mars Hill
#9/12 Lenoir-Rhyne
#14/18 Delta State
Shaw
at #18/20 Virginia Union
UNC Pembroke
at #23/24 Charleston
Wingate
at #9/12 Lenoir-Rhyne
#14/18 Delta State
Winston-Salem State
at #18/20 Virginia Union
Division III Teams
(D3Football.com)
Brevard
None
Greensboro
None
Guilford
at #10 Randolph-Macon
Methodist
None
North Carolina Wesleyan
None
NAIA Team
(NAIA Football GoRout Top 25)
St. Andrews
at #18 Reinhardt
at 20 Lindsey Wilson
