Among the few certainties in sports right now as we enter month three of COVID-19 in the U.S. is the lack of a consensus solution to play college football this season.
Of course, it isn’t alone in facing the pandemic’s impact on sports, but the size and scope of college football makes solidarity a struggle with so many differing interests.
College football isn’t a league like the NFL or NBA. It’s more so an industry of many leagues.
Instead of a central decision-making voice from the top, all that remains is a barrage of ideas from reporters, conference commissioners, athletic directors and coaches across the country. None of which have the authority to implement their ideas on a national scale.
That’s not to say that there aren’t good ideas out there. One compelling idea floating around is the idea of playing regional schedules to reduce air travel. After all, the drop in revenue from coronavirus is already impacting how some college programs will travel next season.
As opposed to flying across multiple time zones to play a football game against a “conference opponent” several states over, why not schedule as many in-state opponents as possible? You know, the origin behind how rivalries are formed.
Television deals, home-and-home contracts and, ultimately, money would likely prevent such an adoption, but the idea sparked our interest. What would such a schedule look like for NC State?
Yesterday we published games 1-6 of a fictional regional schedule. Here’s a look at what the games 7-12 could look like for the Wolfpack if it were to adopt an emphasis on regional matchups:
Game 7: Clemson (Memorial Stadium)
Distance: 295 miles
Shifting to a regional schedule wouldn’t stop the Textile Bowl from being played. The current schedule has the Wolfpack heading to Memorial Stadium in week seven already, so it’s an easy keep in case games begin shifting around.
Considering Clemson’s recent dominance in the series, Pack fans may not have this one circled as the game they’re most looking forward to. On the other hand, NC State should play loose in a game it has nothing to lose. There will always be some red in the sea of orange considering the less than five-hour commute from Raleigh.
Game 8: Wake Forest
Distance: 101 miles
The quick 90-minute drive down I-40 is one both fan bases are very familiar with, especially considering the two play every year as ACC Atlantic foes.
Last season Wake Forest beat NC State 44-10 in BB&T Field, which has been a house of horrors for the Wolfpack over the past two decades. Luckily for Pack fans, NC State has had an equal amount of success with the Demon Deacons in Carter-Finley Stadium during the same stretch.
The Wolfpack are currently scheduled to play this game off of a bye-week after the Clemson road-trip. Expect a competitive game with recruiting implications and bragging rights on the line whenever these two teams are able to meet.
Game 9: Maryland
Distance: 286 miles
In a regionally-cognizant year, it would make sense for Maryland to play a few of its former ACC foes. For this mental exercise, we’ll pretend like the Terrapins never left. Maryland is still closer to Raleigh in distance than 10 other schools in the current ACC. The all-time record between the two schools is tied at 33, the last game being a 41-21 Terrapins win in 2013 during Doeren’s first season.
Game 10: Georgia Tech (Bobby Dodd Stadium)
Distance: 399 miles
Seeing a common trend here? If regional distance was the biggest factor in scheduling, NC State would play five of the seven schools in the ACC Coastal every year.
The Wolfpack already visited Atlanta last season, but it could return again if necessary to get in a road conference game without boarding a plane. Many NC State fans are familiar with the quick flight from RDU to Hartsfield-Jackson airport and typically are good for a strong turnout in Bobby Dodd Stadium.
NC State lost to the Yellow Jackets 28-26 last year, but it was also the best performance the team put together on the road against an ACC opponent. Since the Wolfpack only play one team from the ACC Coastal other than North Carolina each year, it will be at least 2025 before these two schools meet again on the gridiron assuming there are no changes to divisions by then.
Game 11: Appalachian State
Distance: 184 miles
One would think the Wolfpack would want to play an in-state opponent it’s never lost to more often. Had NC State played Appalachian State more often in recent years, it may not have remained undefeated against the Mountaineers.
The Wolfpack won the last meeting 23-10 in 2006, the year prior to Appalachian State’s upset of the decade over Michigan in The Big House.
Last season would have been extra intriguing considering former NC State offensive coordinator Eliah Drinkwitz had Appalachian State ranked throughout his first season as a head coach in Boone. Drinkwitz is now the head coach at Missouri after one season with the Mountaineers, but the cross-state matchup would still have plenty of appeal.
Game 12: North Carolina (Kenan Stadium)
Distance: 23 miles
It wouldn’t be a football season if NC State didn’t meet arch-rival UNC at some point. Add a second pandemic to the list of historical events that have happened since the first time the two schools met on the football field 137 years ago. The new tradition of having the rivalry played over Thanksgiving weekend gives the matchup a signature feel in recent years.
The Wolfpack have had the Heels’ number for most of the past 15 seasons, but the return of Mack Brown has shifted momentum back in UNC’s favor. Coming off of a home loss last season, NC State will have no lack of motivation to return the favor when it visits Kenan Stadium.
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