🏈 NCSN SATURDAY GAMEDAY | SEPTEMBER 19 FROM DEATH VALLEY TO THE ROCK. Five games. Six North Carolina teams. Let’s get after it. 🕛 NOON | UNC AT CLEMSON 📺 ESPN Can the Tar Heels end a quarter-century wait? UNC takes a 2-0 record into Death Valley, where it hasn’t won since 2001. Clemson is 1-1 and turns to freshman quarterback Tait Reynolds for his first college start. The question for Carolina: can Billy Edwards Jr. and the offense protect the football while the defense makes life difficult for a first-time starter? 🎥 NCSN SHORT: CAN UNC END THE DROUGHT? youtube.com/watch?v=DTvr0TPR… 🕧 12:45 PM | NC STATE AT VANDERBILT 📺 SEC Network The Wolfpack’s next test comes in Nashville. NC State is 1-1. Vanderbilt is 2-0. CJ Bailey and the Pack face a Commodores team that turned to talented freshman quarterback Jared Curtis during last week’s win over Delaware. David Glenn breaks down why this is an important road opportunity for State, plus the UNC-Clemson matchup: ncsportsnetwork.com/dgs-nc-a… 🤝 TODAY’S GAMEDAY EDITION IS PRESENTED BY STIFEL | THE FOUNDERS GROUP. A Chapel Hill-based financial services team helping clients build investment strategies around their individual needs and financial goals. Meet the team backing NCSN’s coverage: thefoundersgroup-stifel.com/ 🕓 4 PM | STANFORD AT DUKE 📺 The CW Keep it rolling in Durham. The Blue Devils are 2-0, with Nate Sheppard leading the running game and Walker Eget directing the offense. Stanford arrives at 1-1 under first-year head coach Tavita Pritchard. Duke’s assignment: protect home field and keep the unbeaten start intact. 🕕 6 PM | ECU AT OLD DOMINION 📺 ESPN+ The Pirates need a breakthrough. ECU takes an 0-2 record to Norfolk against 1-1 Old Dominion. Better quarterback play is central to the Pirates’ hopes of avoiding an 0-3 start. David Glenn’s Duke, ECU and statewide game breakdowns: ncsportsnetwork.com/dgs-nc-a… 🏔️ BOONE IS THE PLACE. JERRY MOORE PLAZA IS THE STOP. Join NCSN at Jerry Moore Plaza for the Muscle Milk BOLD NORTH STATE Tailgate Tour before App State hosts Charlotte! Come talk football, connect with the NCSN crew and help us celebrate an in-state Saturday at The Rock. 🕕 6 PM | CHARLOTTE AT APP STATE 📺 ESPN+ SOLD OUT. BLACK SATURDAY. UNDER THE LIGHTS. App State is 2-0 and chasing a third straight win to open the season. Charlotte is 0-2 and looking to break through in front of a packed Kidd Brewer Stadium. The official sellout and game details: appstatesports.com/news/2026… 📋 KEEP THIS HANDY ALL DAY. All kickoff times are Eastern. Follow NCSN’s updated NC/ACC scoreboard and TV guide: ncsportsnetwork.com/acc-nc-w… 📣 LIKE. SUBSCRIBE. FOLLOW. SHARE. Help push NCSN to 75,000 YouTube subscribers! Follow @TheNCSportsNet and @DavidGlennShow for original coverage, game breakdowns and stories from across the BOLD NORTH STATE. #NCSN #NCSports #CollegeFootball #Gameday #UNC #Clemson #NCState #Vanderbilt #Duke #ECU #AppState #Charlotte49ers #MuscleMilk #BoldNorthState #Stifel

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Duke looks to have the edge over Stanford this year, largely due to superstar running back Nate Sheppard and a well-coached defense under Diaz. #NCSN #CollegeFB #ACC

Previewing the Dukes Mayo Classic: No. 25 Virginia (2-0) vs. West Virginia (2-0) in Charlotte. Can UVA's run game overcome the Mountaineers' defense? Michael Hawkins Jr. leads WVU's dual-threat offense. UVA is a 10-point favorite. #NCSN #CollegeFB #ACC

PROTECT COLLEGE SPORTS, OR PROTECT THE POWER? The Senate just voted 74-24 to advance the Protect College Sports Act. It was procedural, not final passage. But both North Carolina senators, Ted Budd and Thom Tillis, voted yes. They helped open the gate. Now North Carolina deserves to know who they intend to let through it. The bill contains athlete protections worth keeping. But it also would make the revenue-sharing limit permanent, restrict undergraduates to one penalty-free transfer and give schools and conferences limited antitrust protection. Hmmm. Who benefits from this, and who is about to get slapped backwards a decade or two? The people who spent decades refusing to share the money now want Congress to limit how much athletes can receive. When a coach leaves for more money, it is career advancement. When an athlete seeks a better opportunity, it is instability. Funny how the free market becomes dangerous only when the players begin participating in it. Athletes did not create this crisis. Presidents approved the spending. Athletics directors guaranteed the contracts. Commissioners chased television money, destroyed regional rivalries and sent athletes across multiple time zones because networks needed more inventory. Now those same adults want athletes blamed for the disorder. That is like the arsonist requesting federal money for a new fire station. Then comes the antitrust protection. Lose in court? Change the law. America 2026. Lose control of athlete compensation? Ask Washington to impose a permanent limit. University Leadership is at an Epidemic Low. Fear another legal challenge? Ask Congress for legal shelter. That is not reform. That is an industry protecting itself from the consequences of its own behavior. And do not expect ESPN to provide a disinterested account. ESPN owns valuable college-sports rights, sells the advertising and profits from the product. OpenSecrets reports that Disney identified this bill in its federal lobbying disclosures, although the filings do not show how much was spent on it or Disney’s position. Then bill sponsor Ted Cruz appeared on College GameDay to promote the legislation and suggested President Trump eventually sign it live on the ESPN show. Disney lobbies. ESPN provides the stage. The sponsor proposes the victory lap. You do not need a conspiracy theory to recognize a conflict of interest. You just need open eyes. That is corporate self-interest wearing a press credential. Mickey Mouse journalism reveals another rat in the college-sports barn. Mouse. Rat. Same difference. Vermin, all. The greatest threat to college sports is not athlete freedom. It is the unchecked greed of adults who monetized tradition, inflated their own salaries and then blamed the players when the bill came due. Follow the restrictions. They fall hardest on athletes. Follow the chaos. It leads back to administrators. Follow the legal protection. It shields the establishment. Follow the money. It runs from campuses to conference offices, television networks and corporate suites. Senators Budd and Tillis, you voted to open the gate. Now tell North Carolina why athlete freedom requires federal limits while coaching salaries, buyouts and corporate profits remain conveniently uncapped. Did you vote to protect college sports? Or did you vote to protect the people already profiting from it? BOLD NORTH STATE COMMENTARY by Mike Waddell, CEO, Brentwood Partners, LLC and former D1 Athletics Director and Professional Sports Team President.

Miami faces its toughest September challenge against undefeated Wake Forest. Can the Hurricanes maintain their dominance against a stingy Demon Deacons defense and a revamped offense? #NCSN #CollegeFB #ACC

Through week 2, Duke's Nate Sheppard led the entire FBS with 187 rushing yards per game. He saved the day with 227 yards and 2 TDs in the opener, then added 147 yards and a TD against Illinois. He's now one of the best backs in the country. #NCSN #CollegeFB #ACC

Florida State's AD fired amid $437M debt, and Norvell faces scrutiny with an 8-19 record. After a 13-1 ACC season, they're now a 20-point underdog. With a $51M buyout, change is costly. #NCSN #CollegeFB #ACC

Lane Kiffin's departure from Ole Miss to LSU created major drama, taking coaches and players. Now, star QB Trinidad Chambliss and RB Kewan Lacy are back with Ole Miss for new coach Pete Golding, who led them to CFP wins. #NCSN #CollegeFB #ACC

In an era dominated by transfers and super-seniors, true freshman Faizon Brandon stands out. He's not just starting for a top-25 team after less than a year on campus—he's delivering. A stunning accomplishment against seasoned players. #CFB #Vols #FreshmanImpact

A quarter-century. That's how long it's been since UNC last beat Clemson in Death Valley. With Clemson starting a freshman QB and Vandy losing its star, opportunity knocks for both UNC and NC State. #NCSN #CollegeFootball