By R.L. Bynum
North Carolina will host NCAA women’s tournament games at Carmichael Arena for the first time in 10 years as a No. 3 seed, the program’s highest seed in 12 years.
The No. 12-ranked Tar Heels (27–7) are the No. 3 seed in Birmingham 2 regional, and face No. 14-seed Oregon State (19–15) in the first round at 4:30 p.m. Saturday (ESPNU). With a win, UNC would play on Monday against the winner of Saturday’s other Chapel Hill game between No. 6-seed West Virginia (24–7) and the winner of the First Four game between 11 seeds Columbia and Washington.
In the Sweet 16 in Birmingham, UNC, making its 32nd NCAA appearance, could face either No. 10-seed Oregon (19–11) and former Carolina star Deja Kelly or No. 2-seed Duke (26–7). Oregon plays No. 7-seed Vanderbilt (22–10) in Durham on Friday, with the Blue Devils facing No. 15-seed Lehigh (27–6). The winners meet in the second round on Sunday in Durham.
In addition to UNC and Duke, N.C. State (No. 2 seed in the Spokane 1 regional) is also a host.
It’s Carolina’s highest seed since it was a No. 3 seed in 2013 and the program’s first time as a host since doing it in the first two seasons (2014 and 2015) that the NCAA began making the top four seeds hosts in the first two rounds. That 2013 season was the last with predetermined hosts for the first two rounds and the Tar Heels had to play at Newark, Del., despite being a No. 3 seed.
It will be Coach Courtney Banghart’s 13th NCAA tournament appearance in 18 seasons as a head coach.
The Tar Heels haven’t played since their 66–55 loss to N.C. State on March 8 in the ACC tournament semifinals. That gives them plenty of time to get fully healthy after stars Alyssa Ustby and Reniya Kelly missed games while nursing knee injuries late in the season.
UNC seeds since 2014
Year — seed; site of games in first two rounds; how season ended
2025 — No. 3 seed; Chapel Hill
2024 — No. 8 seed; Columbia, S.C.; lost in round of 32 at South Carolina 88–41
2023 — No. 6 seed; Columbus, Ohio; lost in round of 32 at Ohio State 71–69
2022 — No. 5 seed; Tucson, Ariz; lost in Sweet 16 in Greensboro to South Carolina 69–61
2021 — No. 10 seed; San Antonio; lost in first round in San Antonio to Alabama 80–71
2020 — Tournament canceled
2019 — No. 9 seed; Waco, Texas; lost in first round in Waco, Texas, to California 92–72
2016–18 — Missed tournament
2015 — No. 4 seed; hosted; lost in Sweet 16 in Greensboro to South Carolina 67–65
2014 — No. 4 seed; hosted; lost in Elite Eight in Palo Alto, Calif., to South Carolina 65–58
UNC schedule
| Date | Day/ month | Time | Opponent/event (rank in final poll) | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October | Exhibitions | |||
| 18 | Sunday | 1 p.m. | vs. Davidson | |
| 24 | Saturday | 1 p.m. | at No. 20 Maryland | B1G+ |
| November | Regular season | |||
| 2 | Monday | 2:30 ET | Oui-Play in Paris vs. No. 12 Oklahoma | ESPN2 |
| 8 | Sunday | 5:30 | Ally Tipoff in Charlotte vs. No. 2 South Carolina | ESPN |
| 11 | Wednesday | 7 p.m. | vs. N.C. Central | ACCNE |
| 14 | Saturday | 4 p.m. | at Penn in Palestra | ESPN+ |
| WBCA Showcase | Orlando | |||
| 19 | Thursday | 6 p.m. | vs. Texas Tech | ESPN2 |
| 21 | Saturday | 5 p.m. | vs. No. 24 Alabama | ESPN+ |
| ——— | ||||
| 24 | Tuesday | 7 p.m. | vs. Gardner-Webb | ACCNE |
| 27 | Friday | 7 p.m. | vs. Army | ACCNE |
| 29 | Sunday | 4 p.m. | vs. Brown | ACCN |
| December | ||||
| 2 | Wednesday | 7:15 | ACC/SEC Women’s Challenge vs. No. 8 LSU | ESPN2 |
| 6 | Sunday | 2 p.m. | vs. Elon | ACCN |
| 9 | Wednesday | 11 a.m. | vs. Winthrop | ACCNE |
| 13 | Sunday | 6 p.m. | vs. N.C. State | ESPN |
| 17 | Thursday | 6 p.m. | vs. Georgia Tech | ACCN |
| 21 | Monday | 7 p.m. | vs. Norfolk State | ACCN |
| 28 | Monday | 8 p.m. | vs. UNCW | ACCN |
| 31 | Thursday | 6 p.m. | at Syracuse | ACCN |
| January | ||||
| 3 | Sunday | 2 p.m. | at Clemson | The CW |
| 7 | Thursday | 8 p.m. | vs. Wake Forest | ACCN |
| 10 | Sunday | 3 p.m. | at No. 11 Louisville | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| 17 | Sunday | 4 p.m. | vs. Boston College | ACCN |
| 21 | Thursday | 8 p.m. ET | at California | ACCN |
| 24 | Sunday | 2 p.m. ET | at Stanford | ESPN, 2 or U |
| 28 | Thursday | 6 p.m. | vs. No. 9 Notre Dame | ESPN |
| 31 | Sunday | 5 p.m. | vs. No. 5 Duke | ESPN |
| February | ||||
| 4 | Thursday | 7 p.m. | at Miami | ACCNE |
| 7 | Sunday | 6 p.m. | vs. Virginia Tech | ACCN |
| 14 | Sunday | 2 p.m. | at SMU | ACCNE |
| 18 | Thursday | 6 p.m. | at Pittsburgh | ACCN |
| 21 | Sunday | Noon | vs. Florida State | The CW |
| 25 | Thursday | 8 p.m. | vs. No. 19 Virginia | ACCN |
| 28 | Sunday | 4 p.m. | at No. 5 Duke | ESPN |
| March | ||||
| 3–7 | Wed.-Sun. | ACC tournament | Spectrum Center, Charlotte |
Photo courtesy of the ACC
