By R.L. Bynum

CHARLOTTE — The ACC announced conference football opponents for next season, and North Carolina will play four league games at Kenan Stadium and four on the road.

The Tar Heels will host Louisville, Miami, N.C. State and Syracuse, while traveling to Clemson, Duke, Pitt and Virginia. The full schedule, with dates, will be released in late January.

Carolina is one of five ACC teams that will play eight conference games and two power-conference teams in non-conference play as the league transitions to nine-game conference schedules. The rest of the league plays nine league games and at least one power-conference opponent. The Tar Heels will play nine league games in 2027.

“Transitioning to a nine-game conference schedule strengthens our competitive framework, aligns us with the other Power Four conferences and provides greater consistency,” ACC commissioner Jim Phillips said in a press release.

Other teams playing only eight league games next season are Boston College, Clemson, Florida State and Georgia Tech.

Carolina will meet Louisville for the first time since 2017 and Miami for the first time since 2023, while renewing rivalries with five teams they faced last year: Clemson, Duke, N.C. State, Syracuse and Virginia. Pitt returns to the schedule after last playing the Tar Heels in 2024.

UNC opens nonconference play on Aug. 29 in Dublin, Ireland, against TCU, followed by home games against East Tennessee State (Sept. 12) and Notre Dame (Oct. 3). The Tar Heels will also travel to UConn on Nov. 7.

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2026 ACC football matchups

Teams with a nine-game ACC schedule:
California
Home: Clemson, Pitt, Stanford, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest
Away: N.C. State, SMU, Syracuse, Virginia 
Duke
Home: Boston College, Clemson, North Carolina, Stanford
Away: Georgia Tech, Miami, N.C. State, Virginia, Wake Forest 
Louisville
Home: Florida State, Pitt, SMU, Stanford, Wake Forest
Away: Georgia Tech, North Carolina, N.C. State, Syracuse 
Miami
Home: Boston College, Duke, Florida State, Pitt, Virginia Tech
Away: Clemson, North Carolina, Stanford, Wake Forest 
N.C. State
Home: California, Duke, Louisville, Syracuse, Wake Forest
Away: Florida State, North Carolina, Stanford, Virginia (College Football Brasil) 
Pitt
Home: Florida State, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Syracuse
Away: Boston College, California, Louisville, Miami, Virginia Tech 
SMU
Home: Boston College, California, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest
Away: Florida State, Louisville, Stanford, Syracuse 
Stanford
Home: Georgia Tech, Miami, N.C. State, SMU
Away: California, Duke, Louisville, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest 
Syracuse
Home: California, Clemson, Louisville, SMU
Away: Boston College, North Carolina, NC State, Pitt, Virginia 
Virginia
Home: California, Duke, North Carolina, N.C. State (College Football Brasil), Syracuse
Away: Florida State, SMU, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest 
Virginia Tech
Home: Georgia Tech, Pitt, Stanford, Virginia
Away: Boston College, California, Clemson, Miami, SMU 
Wake Forest
Home: Duke, Miami, Stanford, Virginia
Away: California, Georgia Tech, Louisville, N.C. State, SMU 
Teams with eight-game ACC schedules:
Boston College
Home: Florida State, Pitt, Syracuse, Virginia Tech
Away: Duke, Georgia Tech, Miami, SMU 
Clemson
Home: Georgia Tech, Miami, North Carolina, Virginia Tech
Away: California, Duke, Florida State, Syracuse 
Florida State
Home: Clemson, N.C. State, SMU, Virginia
Away: Boston College, Louisville, Miami, Pitt 
Georgia Tech
Home: Boston College, Duke, Louisville, Wake Forest
Away: Clemson, Pitt, Stanford, Virginia Tech 
North Carolina
Home: Louisville, Miami, N.C. State, Syracuse
Away: Clemson, Duke, Pitt, Virginia 

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Photo courtesy of UNC Athletics