North Carolina’s cross country programs will enter the 2026 season with both squads showing up near the top of the ACC preseason picture. The women were picked third in the conference coaches poll, while the men landed eighth, according to the league office on Tuesday afternoon.
For the women, the ranking reflects a program that has stayed firmly in the ACC conversation. Carolina finished third at last year’s ACC Championships, and two Tar Heels earned All-ACC honors. The men also put together a solid conference meet, taking sixth while two athletes picked up conference honors.
Both teams are coming off another trip to the NCAA Championships, continuing a long stretch of national relevance for the Tar Heels. The women made their 20th overall appearance at nationals, while the men reached the meet for the 12th time.
Last season was the men’s fifth straight NCAA Championships appearance and the women’s fifth in the last six seasons. The women finished 11th overall in each of the past two years.
Carolina will open the season on September 11 in Charlottesville, Va., where it is set to run at the Virginia Invitational. The meet is scheduled to begin at 8:45 a.m.
In the ACC women’s poll, NC State earned the top spot with 324 points and 18 first-place votes. Notre Dame checked in second with 305 points, followed by North Carolina with 271.
Stanford was fourth at 270, Virginia fifth with 253 and Duke sixth with 219. Boston College, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, Clemson, Florida State, Louisville, Syracuse, SMU, California, Pitt, Georgia Tech and Miami rounded out the rest of the list.
On the men’s side, Syracuse and Wake Forest shared the top position in the preseason poll at 269 points apiece. Syracuse collected six first-place votes and Wake Forest got five.
Notre Dame followed in third with 234 points, then Virginia in fourth with 216 and three first-place votes. Louisville was fifth with 214 points and one first-place vote, Virginia Tech sixth with 210 and one first-place vote, Stanford seventh with 209, and North Carolina eighth with 206 and one first-place vote.
Duke, NC State, Florida State, Pitt, Georgia Tech, Clemson, Boston College, California and Miami filled out the rest of the men’s rankings.
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What stood out just as much was who was not part of the conversation. AuTori Newkirk, a quarterback recruited by GM Michael Lombardi, was not mentioned and has slipped to fourth string behind the newer additions, a development that only adds to the scrutiny around Lombardis evaluation of the position. With Gio Lopez and Ryan Browne also part of the broader quarterback picture, the issue has become less about sheer numbers and more about whether UNCs decision-making at the spot has helped or hurt the program. [Read more 🡒]
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UNC Defense Has One Chance To Answer Last Year's TCU Humbling
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For UNC, this is more than just an early-season test on a big stage. The Tar Heels have reportedly carried the memory of that defeat through their preparation, and the defense in particular has plenty to prove after the way TCU exposed them last time around. Waters expanded role adds another layer of interest, because Carolina will need more reliable play from the back end if it wants this rematch to look different. [Read more 🡒]