Carolina gymnastics will spend much of 2027 testing itself against the sport’s biggest names, with a schedule that includes nine opponents ranked in the top 25, four home meets and two premier quad-meet events.
Danna Durante’s Tar Heels open Jan. 10 on the national stage at the Sprouts College Quad in Greenville, S.C., where they’ll face Clemson, Georgia and Utah in session two of the event. ESPN will carry the meet.
The trip to South Carolina starts a demanding stretch of four straight ACC road meets. Carolina’s first dual meet comes at Pittsburgh against the Pitt Panthers, then the Tar Heels head to Clemson on Jan. 22 to meet the defending ACC champions. That matchup will be the second of three regular-season meetings between Carolina and the Tigers.
After that, UNC closes January in Maples Pavilion against Stanford before turning around for another road test on Feb. 5 at NC State. That meet begins the home-and-away series with the Wolfpack.
A week later, the Tar Heels will host NC State in their home opener on Feb. 12.
The schedule keeps stacking up with another major event, as Carolina heads to Birmingham, Ala., for Elevate the Stage on Feb. 14. In that session, the Tar Heels will be matched with Alabama, Auburn and Illinois.
UNC then gets another crack at a heavyweight on Feb. 19 in Gainesville, where Florida awaits in a dual meet. The Gators beat Carolina at last year’s Florida Quad, where the Tar Heels finished second.
Back home, the Tar Heels will return to Carmichael Arena to host Cal on Feb. 28, starting a short homestand. They’ll stay in Chapel Hill for two more duals in early March against TWU and Clemson, with the Clemson meet serving as Carolina’s final competition in Carmichael Arena this season.
The postseason begins March 20 at the ACC Championship, where Carolina placed fifth a year ago. NCAA regionals are set for March 31-April 4, and the teams or individuals who advance will move on to the NCAA National Championships on April 15 in Fort Worth, Texas.
UNC is coming off one of the strongest seasons in program history. The Tar Heels ended last year ranked No. 20, their best finish since 2006, and had one NCAA Championships qualifier along with three All-ACC gymnasts.
In Other News...
Duke Just Gave UNC A Huge Rivalry Week Problem
Dukes rivalry-week injury report has introduced another layer of uncertainty into a matchup that already carries plenty of tension for North Carolina. Running back Nate Sheppard is listed as a game-time decision, and his status matters because he has been Dukes most productive runner and one of the most important pieces of the Blue Devils offense.
If Sheppard cannot go, Duke would likely turn to CJ Campbell Jr., a less proven option with far less production and experience. For UNC, the difference between facing Duke with its lead back available or with a backup thrust into a bigger role could shape how the Tar Heels prepare for one of the seasons most closely watched games. [Read more 🡒]
Tar Heels Just Sent A Message Before Duke Showdown
North Carolina mens soccer kept rolling with a 1-0 road win over No. 7 Pittsburgh, a result that added another quality line to an already strong stretch. Max Fisher delivered the decisive goal in the 51st minute, finishing a pass from Bertil Rygaard Hansen and giving the Tar Heels the kind of road result that can sharpen a teams edge this time of year.
The victory stretched UNCs winning streak to five games and snapped Pittsburghs six-match unbeaten run, a nice reminder that the Tar Heels are carrying real momentum into the biggest matchups ahead. With Duke next on the horizon, the timing of this performance matters almost as much as the result itself, since wins like this tend to travel well when the pressure rises. [Read more 🡒]
UNC Gets Another Shot To End Duke Rivalry Frustration
North Carolina gets another crack at a rivalry that has been stubbornly frustrating lately when the Tar Heels meet Duke on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET in an ACC football matchup. The game will be carried on ESPN2 and SiriusXM radio, and it comes with some momentum after UNC recently upset a ranked opponent.
The bigger backdrop is simple: the Victory Bell has been out of reach in recent meetings, with Duke finding ways to win close games and leave Carolina looking for answers. Saturday offers the Tar Heels a chance to flip that script, and the broader schedule picture is already taking shape with UNCs 2026 football slate also in view. [Read more 🡒]