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

Date	Day/month	Time/ score	Opponent/event (current rank)	TV/ record
	November
4	Monday	W, 83–53	vs. Charleston Southern	1–0
7	Thursday	W, 77–50	vs. UNCW	2–0
12	Tuesday	W, 66–47	at N.C. A&T	3–0
15	Friday	L, 69–58	vs. No. 3 UConn in Greensboro	3–1
			Battle 4 Atlantis Paradise Island, Bahamas
23	Saturday	W, 63–52	Ball State	4–1
24	Sunday	W, 53–36	Villanova	5–1
25	Monday	W, 69–39	Indiana	6–1
			———————————
29	Friday	W, 119–43	vs. N.C. Central	7–1
	December
			ACC/SEC Women’s Challenge
5	Thursday	W, 72–53	vs. No. 13 Kentucky	8–1
			———————————
8	Sunday	W, 72–46	vs. Coppin State	9–1
11	Wednesday	W, 80–56	vs. UNCG	10–1
15	Sunday	L, 82–76	vs. Georgia Tech	10–2, 0–1 ACC
			Jumpman Invitational in Charlotte
18	Wednesday	W, 77–57	vs. Florida	11–2
			———————————
21	Saturday	W, 90–47	vs. Norfolk State	12–2
			ACC season
29	Sunday	W, 69–60	at Miami	13–2, 1–1 ACC
	January
5	Sunday	L, 76–66	vs. No. 8 Notre Dame	13–3, 1–2
9	Thursday	W, 53–46, OT	vs. No. 7 Duke	14–3, 2–2
12	Sunday	W, 80–67	vs. Boston College	15–3, 3–2
16	Thursday	W, 64–33	at SMU	16–3, 4–2
19	Sunday	W, 75–58	at Pitt	17–3, 5–2
23	Thursday	W, 76–51	vs. Wake Forest	18–3, 6–2
26	Sunday	L, 86–84	vs. No. 23 Florida State	18–4, 6–3
30	Thursday	W, 65–52	at California	19–4, 7–3
	February
2	Sunday	W, 69–67	at Stanford	20–4, 8–3
9	Sunday	W, 53–51	at Clemson	21–4, 9–3
13	Thursday	W, 67–62	vs. Virginia Tech	22–4, 10–3
16	Sunday	W, 66–65	vs. No. 9 N.C. State	23–4, 11–3
20	Thursday	W, 68–58	at Syracuse	24–4, 12–3
23	Sunday	W, 79–75	at Louisville	25–4, 13–3
27	Thursday	L, 68–53	at No. 7 Duke	25–5, 13–4
	March
2	Sunday	L, 78–75	vs. Virginia	25–6, 13–5
			ACC tournament Greensboro
6	Thursday	W, 78–71	Third round: Boston College	26–6
7	Friday	W, 60–56	Quarterfinals: vs. No. 23 Florida State	27–6
8	Saturday	L, 66–55	Semifinals: vs. No. 9 N.C. State	27–7
			NCAA tournament
22	Saturday	4:30	First round: vs. Oregon State	ESPNU
24	Monday	TBA	Second round (with Saturday win): W.Va., Columbia or Washington	TBA
28–29	Fri.-Sat.		Sweet 16 Spokane, Birmingham
30–31	Sun.-Mon.		Elite Eight Spokane, Birmingham
	April
4, 6	Fri., Sun.		Final Four Tampa, Fla.