By R.L. Bynum

Highlighted by the field hockey battle against fellow national power Iowa, North Carolina teams will appear on ACC Network at least a dozen times.

There will be 12 Tar Heels games involving football, men’s soccer, women’s soccer, field hockey and volleyball on the network. That total will likely rise, with the football opener at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 27, unlikely to be the only ACCN appearance for Coach Mack Brown’s team.

Many more additional UNC games will air on ACC Network Extra (ESPN3).

The first of two appearances for Coach Karen Shelton’s field hockey team on ACCN will be the 4 p.m. game on Sunday, Aug. 28, in Winston-Salem against Iowa. That follows a 1:30 game between Michigan and Wake Forest. UNC’s Oct. 23 home game against St. Joe’s also will air on ACCN.

It’s the final college season for decorated forward Erin Matson (top photo).

A women’s soccer battle between No. 13 UCLA and No. 10 UNC in Chapel Hill at noon on Sunday, Sept. 4, will be one of four ACCN appearances for Coach Anson Dorrance’s team. Also airing on the channel will be the Sept. 8 match at No. 2 Duke, the Oct. 20 match at No. 1 Florida State and the Oct. 27 match at Louisville. In addition, UNC’s 8 p.m. game on Thursday, Aug. 28, at Texas will air on Longhorn Network.

The No. 24-ranked men’s soccer team’s 8 p.m. home match on Sept. 30 against No. 1 Clemson is one of three times that Coach Carlos Somoano’s team will appear on ACCN. Also on the network will be the Oct. 14 game at N.C. State and the Oct. 21 contest at Boston College.

Carolina’s 6 p.m. home volleyball match with Michigan State on Friday, Sept. 9, will be the first of two ACCN games for Coach Joe Sagula’s team. The Tar Heels’ Oct. 16 home game with Syracuse will also air on the channel.

UNC games on ACC Network

Field hockey
4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 28 vs. Iowa in Winston-Salem
2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 23 vs. St. Joe’s
Football
8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 27 vs. Florida A&M
Men’s soccer
8 p.m., Friday, Sept. 30 vs. No. 1 Clemson
8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 14 at N.C. State
6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 21 at Boston College
Women’s soccer
Noon Sunday, Sept. 4 vs. No. 13 UCLA
8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 8 at No. 2 Duke
8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 20 at No. 1 Florida State
6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 27 at Louisville
Volleyball
6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 9 vs. Michigan State
3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 16 vs. Syracuse