Nomads No More - Coastal Carolina Chanticleers 2030 Season Preview
Conway, SC. - For the first time in two seasons, Coastal Carolina isn’t living out of a suitcase. No more coast-to-coast tours, no more weekly auditions against college football’s biggest brands. The “Nomad Years” are over and the Chanticleers can go back to beating up on weak conference teams once again. At least, that’s what it looks like on paper.
Kade Vaughn isn’t buying it.
“We may not be playing guys that are going to compete for the national championship every week anymore,” Vaughn told his team after the spring game. “But that doesn’t mean they’ll be competing any less. Some of ‘em might be competing even more. Hate’s a hell of a motivator.”
That’s life in the ACC. The conference has quietly built its case as college football’s third power league, even as Big Ten and SEC fans roll their eyes. With Coastal’s arrival, the ACC now boasts the last three national champions.
“Easy to win when you’re facing cupcakes every week,” one SEC homer posted on X. Vaughn, never shy, clapped back at ACC Kickoff. “The difficulty of the SEC and Big Ten is overblown. Last two years, we played them all. We’ve had a harder go against ACC teams than either of them.” (Georgia’s Orange Bowl demolition last winter not withstanding, of course.)
If Vaughn’s comments felt bold, he’ll get the chance to back them up immediately. The Chanticleers open 2030 in Charlotte at Bank of America Stadium against No. 15 Florida in the Aflac Kickoff Game. Two weeks later, they’ll roll into Columbus to take on No. 3 Ohio State — the kind of measuring-stick game that turns Twitter into a warzone.
After that, things don’t exactly ease up. Coastal hosts rival Liberty and No. 19 Oklahoma in back-to-back weeks. Transfer LB Evan Hemphill, a Liberty defector, put it simply: “Circled, underlined, locked and loaded.”
Their first taste of league life comes early with a Week 2 home date against Duke, a chance for WR transfer Kamryn Petty to face his old team. “Time to show them what speed really does,” he posted on IG, circling the date.
Beyond that, it’s a schedule loaded with landmines:
• Florida State (Week 4): Revenge opportunity after last year’s collapse.
• Clemson (Week 7): The Tigers want this to be a real rivalry, and Vaughn’s not exactly tamping down the noise.
• West Virginia (Week 10): New DC Tony White has this one circled after the Mountaineers passed him over in their coaching search.
The ACC grind doesn’t look like the old “easy path” critics used to sneer about.
Coastal may no longer be “big-game hunting” every single Saturday, but the stakes haven’t changed. Vaughn even revealed at ACC Kickoff that he mounted the Trophy Wall from 2028 in his office, directly behind his desk— a reminder of what the program can accomplish, and what’s expected now that the Nomad Years are over.
For the Chanticleers, 2030 is less about proving they belong and more about planting a flag.
2030 Coastal Carolina Schedule
Week 1 | #15 Florida | 9-4
Week 2 | Duke | 8-5
Week 3 | @ #3 Ohio State | 12-3
Week 4 | #21 Florida State | 9-5
Week 5 | Liberty | 8-5
Week 6 | #19 Oklahoma | 9-4
Week 7 | @ #7 Clemson | 11-4
Week 8 | BYE
Week 9 | @ Georgia Tech | 4-8
Week 10 | @ West Virginia | 7-6
Week 11 | NC State | 6-7
Week 12 | @ Pittsburgh | 4-8
Week 13 | BYE
Week 14 | #24 Boston College | 9-4
( 
2029)
5* is a 5*
