The expanded 18-game ACC schedule kicks off in 10 days.

North Carolina has an important game with UNLV and N.C. State gets a potential RPI-helper in Western Michigan on Saturday, but it's fairly safe to gauge how the 12 ACC teams did outside of league play.

Duke and N.C. State are in the top 10 of the RPI and the ACC could get another four or five teams in the NCAA tournament.

There have been some surprises (hello, Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech) and some disappointments (really, FSU and Clemson?). A breakdown of all 12 teams (in order of RPI ranking, according to Jerry Palm at CBS Sports):

The athletic departments at Florida State and Virginia generated the most revenue among ACC schools during the 2011-12 fiscal year, according to data compiled by the U.S. Department of Education.

Colleges and universities that sponsor sports programs are required by the Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act to report their revenues to the Department of Education. Schools use different accounting methods to report the data, and those varying reporting methods make it difficult to compare numbers.

Florida State and Miami were supposed to challenge N.C. State, Duke and North Carolina for supremacy in the ACC this season. The Seminoles, who won the league tournament a season ago, were picked to finish fourth in the ACC’s preseason media poll. Miami was right behind, at No. 5.

Both teams, though, have provided the league with its two most puzzling early-season defeats.

Roy Williams, Dexter Strickland and the Tar Heels have history on their side after being picked to finish third in the ACC. ROBERT WILLETT

CHAPEL HILL — Back from a long day yesterday at the ACC’s annual basketball media day, where voters picked North Carolina to finish third in the conference.

Which got to me thinking: What has happened the other times that UNC has been picked to finish third?

CHARLOTTE — For the first time since 1975, media members covering the ACC have picked N.C. State to win the conference. The league on Wednesday released the results of its annual preseason media poll, in which the Wolfpack received 26 of 53 first-place votes.

Duke, which received 21 first-place votes, finished second in the poll. North Carolina finished third and Florida State, which received six first-place votes, came in fourth.

North Carolina sophomore forward James Michael McAdoo doesn't consider this a rebuilding year for the Tar Heels. ROBERT WILLETT

CHARLOTTE — North Carolina lost its top four players from a season ago. Harrison Barnes, John Henson, Kendall Marshall and Tyler Zeller all were selected among the top 17 picks in the NBA draft. The Tar Heels lost nearly 70 percent of its scoring and rebounding, and nearly 80 percent of assists.

So it’s not surprise, then, that UNC arrived here in Charlotte at the ACC’s annual media day without the kind of hype and expectations that surrounded the Heels at the start of the past two seasons. Or is it a surprise? Reggie Bullock, the junior guard, said he hasn’t felt any difference without those high expectations.

“I don’t feel like it’s calmer at all,” he said. “I feel like we still have the bulls eye on our back.” 

Reggie Bullock will have to become a go-to player for North Carolina to reach its potential this season. ROBERT WILLETT

CHAPEL HILL — I’ll be making the drive to Charlotte early Wednesday morning for the ACC’s annual basketball media day. We’ll hear from some of the league’s players. We’ll hear from all of the league’s coaches. And members of the media will try to predict how the teams will finish.

Here’s what my preseason ballot will look like:

UNC will rely on freshmen J.P. Tokoto, Joel James, Brice Johnson and Marcus Paige. ROBERT WILLETT

CHAPEL HILL — The ACC earlier today released the results of its first-ever ACC preseason men’s basketball coaches poll. The league’s coaches selected North Carolina to finish third, behind N.C. State and Duke. The Tar Heels received one first-place vote.

The ACC will host its annual basketball media day on Wednesday in Charlotte. The conference will then release the predicted order of finish from media members who cover the league.

In the meantime, here are the results of the coaches poll: 

UNC will open ACC play at Virginia on Jan. 6, a Sunday night. PHOTO: Robert Willett

CHAPEL HILL — The ACC basketball schedule is out. At least the schedule for conference games.

The league office earlier today released the ACC-only portion of its basketball schedule, which has come out over the past weeks and months in piecemeal form. We know the schedule for various holiday tournaments that involve league teams, and we know the schedule for the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Now we know the full ACC schedule.

Eventually we’ll have the complete schedule, which will be nice.

For now, though, here’s a look at the dates and times for UNC’s games:

James Michael McAdoo (center) and the Tar Heels will begin ACC play next season at Virginia. PHOTO: Robert Willett

The ACC portion of North Carolina’s 2012-13 basketball schedule has been released. Sort of.

We don’t yet know the final dates of the Tar Heels’ conference games – and won’t until the complete schedule is released later this summer – but at least we know the order in which UNC will play its league opponents.

UNC earlier today released the order of its ACC schedule, and a range of dates on which games will be played. Valentine’s Day night in Cameron Indoor Stadium is a possibility for the Tar Heels, as is a home game against Virginia Tech on Super Bowl Sunday.

So without further delay, the order of UNC’s 2012-13 ACC schedule: