North Carolina’s 2026-27 non-ACC men’s basketball schedule brings a little bit of everything: a Greensboro meeting with NC State, a trip back to Madison Square Garden for Kentucky, and three more games against teams that reached the NCAA Tournament a year ago.
The Tar Heels will make their first appearance under first-year head coach Michael Malone on Friday, October 9, when they face Southern California in a preseason game at Greensboro’s First Horizon Coliseum, formerly the Greensboro Coliseum.
UNC’s regular season opens November 2 against Western Carolina at the Dean E. Smith Center. That comes after two more preseason games, with Indiana on October 18 in Indianapolis and Charlotte on October 27 at home.
The home non-conference slate is packed. In Chapel Hill, the Tar Heels are set to host Charlotte, Western Carolina, Wofford on November 6, Wyoming on November 10, Georgia on November 13, Marshall on November 20, Monmouth on November 23, Butler on December 6 and The Citadel on December 21. Arkansas will also visit as part of the ACC-SEC Challenge on December 1.
UNC’s road and neutral-site dates stretch the schedule well beyond Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels will play West Virginia on November 27 in Charlotte in the Dick Vitale Invitational, Georgetown on December 12, NC State on December 15 in Greensboro in the Tobacco Road Classic presented by Old Dominion Freight Line, Kentucky on December 19 at Madison Square Garden in the CBS Sports Classic, and Illinois on January 30 in the Nashville Hoops Showdown.
The ACC will release the conference schedule later.
Season-ticket orders have a priority deadline of Wednesday, September 2. Single-game ticket details will follow after the conference schedule is announced.
Rams Club members will get an email with specific instructions and offerings for all neutral-site events.
In Other News...
UNC Now Has A Real Shot With Fast-Rising 2027 Standout
Asa Montgomerys recruiting calendar is starting to fill up, and North Carolina has secured a key spot in the mix. The highly regarded class of 2027 guard has lined up eight official visits across the country, with Chapel Hill set for Sept. 25 as the fifth stop on his tour. For a program still working to stay in front of elite young talent, landing a visit at that point in the process matters.
UNCs staff, led by Michael Malone, has been active in Montgomerys recruitment, treating him like the sort of prospect worth early attention. The Tar Heels are competing with a deep list of programs for his attention, and the visit schedule suggests this will be a real test of how much traction they can build when he arrives on campus. [Read more 🡒]
North Carolina's Offense May Finally Have The Stability Fans Needed
Billy Edwards Jr. won North Carolinas Week 1 quarterback job after a tight camp battle with Miles ONeill, giving the Tar Heels a clearer path into the opener. For a program that spent much of the offseason searching for answers on offense, settling the quarterback spot matters almost as much as the name itself. It gives the staff a chance to build continuity, and it gives the rest of the unit a firmer foundation to work from as the season gets going.
The support around Edwards has been a focus, too, with the Tar Heels leaning on offensive line additions Andrew Threatt and Shaq McRoy to strengthen protection and open up more for the quarterbacks. Bobby Petrinos offense also figures to lean on the run game, where Demon June and Hall have been singled out as important pieces. If those parts come together, North Carolina may finally have the kind of stability fans have been waiting to see. [Read more 🡒]
UNC Frontcourt Hopes Just Got A Huge Cameron Fens Boost
North Carolinas frontcourt picture got a meaningful lift this week as the legal fight around Cameron Fens took another turn in his favor. A Tennessee court denied the NCAAs motion to stay a temporary injunction, leaving in place the ruling that allows Fens to remain eligible for the 2026-27 basketball season, a development that matters for a Tar Heels roster trying to build depth up front.
For UNC, the significance goes beyond one player on paper. Fens, who transferred from South Dakota, now remains positioned to help the Tar Heels in the seasons ahead, and the update adds another layer of reassurance to a frontcourt that already includes other cleared players. In a program where size and rotation flexibility can shape everything, keeping that option alive is a notable win even with the broader eligibility battle still hanging in the background. [Read more 🡒]