AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
N.C. State men’s basketball is not expected to play in Richmond this season, despite a previous agreement.
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The Pack will not fulfill the second half of its agreement with Virginia Commonwealth and pay a buyout to the mid-major in head coach Justin Gainey’s inaugural season.
Under former head coach Will Wade, N.C. State agreed to a two-game home-and-home series with VCU, with one game during the 2025-26 season and another set for the 2026-27 season. Wade served as an assistant coach and head coach at VCU, prior to his first stint at LSU.
VCU Deputy Athletic Director Mak Afework signed the agreement on May 12, 2025. N.C. State Athletic Director Boo Corrigan did the same four days later.
The original contract states that if one party fails to participate in “the game,” that is considered a material breach of contract. A $95,000 buyout was due if the cancellation occurred prior to Aug.1, 2025. It rose to $190,000 after that date.
The News & Observer has requested a copy of the updated contract details.
Last year, the Rams traveled to Raleigh for the Pack’s fourth game of the season.
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N.C. State beat VCU, 85-79, on Nov. 17, behind 28 points from Darrion Williams and 25 points from Tre Holloman. The win helped push the Pack narrowly into the NCAA Tournament.
”It’s a Quad 2 game for us at home, it’ll be a Quad 1 game when we return the game up there next year,” Wade said after the first meeting. “It makes sense to me; (it’s) two hours away. I don’t know why we wouldn’t do it. You want to test yourself. You want to play good teams. VCU is not some charity program. It’s a real program. They win 20-plus games every year.”
With the Rams off the schedule, N.C. State has announced details for two nonconference games this season. It plays Tennessee at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on Dec.6, a meeting with Gainey’s former team. It also hosts South Carolina on Dec. 1 for the ACC-SEC Challenge. Its nonconference slate includes the Baha Mar Bahamas Hoops Challenge, which currently features Wisconsin and Seton Hall.
N.C. State also agreed last year to a two-game neutral site series against Ole Miss. It won the first game in Greensboro and is expected to participate again, but game information has not been confirmed.
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