By R.L. Bynum
For the first time since 1919, North Carolina won’t play a home men’s basketball game against N.C. State. That’s a result of the new 18-game schedule that the ACC will follow next season.
Carolina will only play two league teams home and home, and those will be Duke as the Tar Heels’ primary scheduling partner. UNC will also play home-and-home each season against a “variable partner,” and next season that is Syracuse. UNC won’t play Boston College during the regular season.
The Tar Heels’ seven other ACC home games will be against Clemson, Florida State, Louisville, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest.
UNC’s other seven road ACC games will be at California, Georgia Tech, Miami, N.C. State, SMU, Stanford and Virginia.
Those will be the first road games for the Tar Heels against Cal, SMU and Stanford since those three joined the ACC last summer. UNC won its last game at Berkeley, Calif., on Dec. 22, 1972 (64–61), in Dallas against the Mustangs on Dec. 30, 1986 (88–86), and at Stanford on Nov. 20, 2017 (96–72). Carolina lost to Cal 78-71 in Oakland on Dec. 29, 1998.
The dates and times of the ACC games haven’t been announced.
The 18-game league schedule has allowed each team to play two additional conference games. Earlier on Wednesday, it was reported that the Tar Heels will host Georgetown, likely in December, as part of a home-and-home agreement.
ACC home-and-home matchups for next season
Primary partners
Boston College-Notre Dame
Clemson-Georgia Tech
California-Stanford
Duke-North Carolina
Florida State-Miami
Louisville-SMU
N.C. State-Wake Forest
Pitt-Syracuse
Virginia Tech-Virginia
Variable partners for 2025–26 season
Boston College-Miami
California-Georgia Tech
Clemson-Pitt
Duke-Louisville
Florida State-SMU
North Carolina-Syracuse
N.C. State-Virginia
Notre Dame-Stanford
Virginia Tech-Wake Forest
Potential UNC roster
(Next season’s classes listed)
| No. | Class | Player | Pos. | Hgt | Wgt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freshman | Caleb Wilson (5 star) | 4 | 6–9 | 205 | |
| Freshman | Isaiah Denis (4 star) | CG | 6–5 | 175 | |
| Freshman | Derek Dixon (4 star) | CG | 6-3 | 190 | |
| Sophomore | Jonathan Powell | G | 6-6 | 191 | |
| 2 | Sophomore | James Brown | 5 | 6–8 | 225 |
| 1 | Sophomore | Zayden High | 4 | 6–9 | 225 |
| Junior | Jaydon Young | 2 | 6–4 | 205 | |
| RS junior | Henri Veesaar | 5 | 7–0 | 235 | |
| Junior | Kyan Evans | 1 | 6–2 | 175 | |
| Junior | Jarin Stevenson | 4 | 6–11 | 215 | |
| 7 | Senior | Seth Trimble | 2 | 6–3 | 195 |
| Walk-ons | |||||
| 15 | Sophomore | John Holbrook | 4 | 6–8 | 230 |
| 14 | Junior | Russell Hawkins | 2 | 6–1 | 175 |
| 6 | RS Senior | Elijah Davis | 2 | 6–4 | 197 |
UNC players entering portal
| Player | Class next season | Pos. | Hgt | Wgt | Next school |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elliot Cadeau | Junior | PG | 6–1 | 180 | Michigan |
| Jalen Washington | Senior | C | 6–10 | 235 | Vanderbilt |
| Ian Jackson | Sophomore | G | 6–4 | 190 | St. John’s |
| Cade Tyson | Senior | F | 6–7 | 200 | Uncommitted |
| Ven-Allen Lubin | Senior | C | 6–8 | 230 | Likely to return |
UNC schedule
Late October, date TBA — Exhibition vs. BYU at Delta Center in Salt Lake City
Nov. 3 — vs. Central Arkansas (finished 9–24, 349th in KenPom; first meeting)
Nov. 11 — vs. Radford (20–13, 151st; UNC leads series 3–0)
Nov. 14 — vs. Kansas (21–13; 24th; lost to Arkansas in first round of NCAA tournament; series tied at 6)
Nov. 17 or 18 — vs. Navy (15–19, 276th; Navy leads 14–6)
Nov. 25 — vs. St. Bonaventure (21–11; 97th; lost to Kent State in first round of the NIT; UNC leads 1–0) in Fort Myers Tip-Off
Nov. 27 — vs. Michigan State (30–7; 7th; lost to Auburn in Elite Eight; UNC leads 13–4) in Fort Myers Tip-Off
Likely December (TBA) — vs. Georgetown (18–16; Georgetown leads 5–4)
Likely Dec. 2 or 3 — ACC/SEC Challenge game (opponent TBA; likely a road game)
Dec. 13 — USC Upstate (6–26, 340th; first meeting)
Dec. 20 — CBS Sports Classic in Atlanta against Ohio State (17–15; 37th; UNC leads 13–3)
Dec. 22 — vs. East Carolina (19–14; 176th; UNC leads 4–0)
Date TBA — vs. N.C. Central (10–19; 319th; UNC leads 3–0)
Two other nonconference games
Likely Feb. 1 or Feb. 8 — vs. Duke (35–4; 1st; UNC leads 145–120)
Likely March 7 — at Duke
ACC games
Home and home vs. Duke and Syracuse
Other home games against Clemson, Florida State, Louisville, Notre Dame, Pitt, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest
Other road games against California, Georgia Tech, Miami, N.C. State, SMU, Stanford and Virginia
Photo via @UNC_Basketball
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