RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Fired N.C. State coach Dave Doeren says he'll keep cheering on the Wolfpack despite his weekend ouster midway through his 14th season. Doeren addressed reporters in a virtual news conference Tuesday but didn't take questions. That came days after the school fired him following a loss at Stanford that dropped the Wolfpack to 3-4. Doeren says he's not exactly sure what's next since it's a rare moment in his life with football not at the center of every routine. Doeren says he leaves the job “with no grudges.” N.C. State hosts California on Saturday under interim coach Todd Goebbel.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Beginning a lengthy letter to fans with “I hear you. I understand your frustration,” Florida State President Richard McCullough provided an out-of-the-ordinary update on the school’s search for an athletic director and the state of a floundering football program. The Seminoles are 3-4, including 1-3 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, heading into Saturday’s home game against Clemson. McCullough says: "We are not asking you to believe that everything is fine. We know it is not.” FSU fired athletic director Mike Alford last month, and coach Mike Norvell remains on the proverbial hot seat.
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — N.C. State interim coach Todd Goebbel faces the job of guiding the Wolfpack through the remainder of the schedule after the midseason firing of 14th-year coach Dave Doeren. Goebbel's first game comes Saturday with a visit from California. The school announced Doeren's firing Saturday after a loss at Stanford dropped the team to 3-4. Goebbel talked Monday about fielding a team “that Coach Doeren will be proud of.”
UNDATED (AP) — Ten small four-year colleges and universities started or restarted football programs this season. The National Football Foundation says that's the most in a single year since 2013. Seven schools have announced plans to start programs in 2027 or later. Administrators say adding football is a way to increase lagging enrollment and create a more vibrant campus life. A 2024 University of Georgia study found schools that add football generally haven't had sustained enrollment growth compared to non-football schools. Researcher Welch Suggs says adding football is a last-ditch effort to keep a school's doors open.
UNDATED (AP) — Three unbeaten teams remain in the Football Bowl Subdivision. That's the fewest at this point in a season in 49 years. A lot of teams will be in desperation mode from here on out in the race for College Football Playoff spots. Revenue sharing, NIL money and the ease of transferring have caused talent to be more widely distributed and narrowed the competitive gap on the field. This season is on the way to being the most chaotic since the Year of the Upset in 2007.
UNDATED (AP) — Second-ranked Duke is favored to win an Atlantic Coast Conference race featuring No. 9 Virginia, No. 11 Louisville and No. 14 Miami. The Blue Devils have won the league in three of Jon Scheyer's four seasons as coach. That has included winning each of the past two behind an Associated Press national player of the year. The Blue Devils are set to lean more into their depth this time around. Virginia's Thijs De Ridder is the preseason ACC player of the year. And the league's five coaching changes include a former NBA championship winner in North Carolina's Michael Malone.
UNDATED (AP) — Fourth-ranked Duke is the preseason favorite to win an Atlantic Coast Conference women's race featuring No. 7 Louisville, No. 12 North Carolina, No. 13 Notre Dame and No. 25 N.C. State. The Blue Devils have won the past two ACC Tournament titles and also claimed last year's regular-season title. Duke has also reached the Elite Eight in each of the past two seasons. The league chase includes a preseason Associated Press All-American in Notre Dame star guard Hannah Hidalgo. The league also added multiple touted freshmen topped by North Carolina's Kate Harpring.
UNDATED (AP) — College basketball fans don’t need to wait until March to see some high-profile matchups. They don’t even need to hold out for the start of conference play. This year’s men’s college basketball schedule features plenty of huge games long before Christmas. The most notable early-season games include a rematch of last year’s NCAA Tournament final as well as a matchup between the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the preseason Top 25. Many of the top five teams will be facing off with one another over the next six weeks.
