Here’s how much NC State basketball will pay for nonconference games this season
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- NC State will pay $540,000 total to host six nonconference opponents in 2025.
- NC State will receive $100,000 for each neutral-site games vs. Ole Miss.
- Home-and-home series with Kansas and VCU include no payout but carry cancellation penalties.
N.C. State men’s basketball announced its nonconference schedule last week, a slate featuring several Power Four opponents, strong mid-majors and multiple in-state programs.
The program will pay $540,000 for six opponents playing in Raleigh, according to documents obtained by The News & Observer through an open records request. The most surprising detail, however, came in the team’s agreement with Ole Miss.
N.C. State and Ole Miss agreed to neutral site games for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 seasons. The first will be held in Greensboro on Dec. 21, and the second will be held in either Tupelo, Mississippi, or South Haven, Mississippi.
These meetings will not be managed by the respective universities. Instead, GS Global Sports LLC, which is associated with Hoopfest Basketball events, will host the games and pay the participating teams.
According to the agreement, GS Global Sports will pay N.C. State $100,000 for each game and incurs the cost of game management, including renting First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro and the venue for Game 2. The programs will pay any costs related to playing in the event, and GS Global Sports retains revenue from the game.
If either team withdraws from the game, it must do so in writing and with 90 days notice of the event. The defaulting program would owe GS Global Sports $50,000 in addition to advertising, promotion or ticket sales related to the team’s participation.
NC State-Kansas series
First-year N.C. State head coach Will Wade previously told reporters he and Rebels coach Chris Beard wanted a home-and-home series, with both teams traveling to each other’s campus, but the plan was created strategically to help their NCAA tournament resumes.
This differs from the Wolfpack’s series with Kansas. N.C. State and Kansas agreed in May 2024 to play at each school. The Wolfpack traveled to Lawrence last year, and the Jayhawks come to Raleigh on Dec. 13. Both programs agreed to manage the games without an additional party and opted against a guaranteed payment. It does not have a cancellation fee.
N.C. State also entered a home-and-home agreement with VCU, where Wade began his career. It does not have a guaranteed payment for the visiting team but features a $190,000 breach of contract penalty for this season’s game, which is scheduled for Nov. 17.
Wolfpack’s compensation for the Maui Invitational
The Wolfpack is expected to receive compensation for its participation in the Maui Invitational, but that contract is not yet available, according to the N.C. State public records office. The Wolfpack opens the event on Nov. 24 against Seton Hall.
According to contracts for six of its other nonconference games, the Pack will pay visiting opponents, on average, $90,000. Liberty University (Dec. 10) will receive the smallest amount at $80,000 and Texas Southern (Dec. 17) — the team’s heritage game opponent at Reynolds Coliseum — agreed to $100,000.
N.C. Central (Nov. 3), Alabama Birmingham (Nov. 7), UNC Greensboro (Nov. 12) and UNC Asheville (Dec. 6) will receive $90,000.
N.C. State also plays Auburn (Dec. 3) at Neville Arena as part of the ACC-SEC Challenge. Neither team receives compensation since that is included in each conference’s media rights payouts.
This story was originally published August 20, 2025 at 10:12 AM with the headline "Here’s how much NC State basketball will pay for nonconference games this season."
