Nine home games in the Smith Center, including a first-ever matchup here with Kansas, highlight the non-conference portion of the 2025-26 UNC men’s hoops schedule.
The Tar Heels open the regular season at home against Central Arkansas Nov. 3 after an Oct. 29 pre-season exhibition against Winston-Salem State.
On Nov. 7, the Tar Heels host the KU Jayhawks. This will be the 14th game all-time between the teams that have the second- and third-most wins in college basketball history. The Tar Heels and Jayhawks previously played in the state of North Carolina in Raleigh in 1959 and Charlotte in 1981 (in Michael Jordan’s first college game), but never in Chapel Hill.
UNC also plays host to Radford (Nov. 11), NC Central (Nov. 14), Navy (Nov. 18), Georgetown (Dec. 7), USC Upstate (Dec. 13), ETSU (Dec.16) and ECU (Dec 22).
Carolina plays St. Bonaventure Nov. 25 and Michigan State on Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 27) in Fort Myers, Fla., in the Skechers Fort Myers Tip-Off.
The Tar Heels play at Kentucky Dec. 2 in the ACC-SEC Challenge. It will be UNC’s first game against the Wildcats in Rupp Arena since 2014.
The 12th edition of the CBS Sports Classic pairs UNC against Ohio State in Atlanta’s State Farm Arena on Dec. 20. The Tar Heels are 7-4 in the CBS Sports Classic, including 3-0 vs. the Buckeyes.
Information on another preseason game will be announced when details are finalized.