UNC football schedule 2026, ACC teams playing Bill Belichick’s Tar Heels

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UNC football knows its full schedule for the 2026 season.

In coach Bill Belichick’s second year, the Tar Heels are scheduled to play an eight-game league schedule that includes four games at Kenan Stadium and four road games. The conference released the matchups for its 17 teams on Dec. 16 and announced the full schedule on Jan. 26.

UNC is one of five teams set to play eight ACC games and at least two Power Four nonconference matchups. Twelve ACC teams will play nine conference games and at least one P4 opponent. Starting in 2027, 16 squads will play a nine-game ACC slate annually, with one team each year playing eight league games. The full conference schedule with dates will be announced in late January 2026.

As of Jan. 26, the Tar Heels have added 19 players via the transfer portal, including quarterbacks Billy Edwards Jr. (Wisconsin) and Miles O’Neill. UNC had 32 players enter the portal, but 39 freshmen have been added to the roster.

The Heels also re-signed several key returners, including wide receiver Jordan Shipp, running back Demon June and defensive lineman Melkart Abou-Jaoude.

After posting a 4-8 record in 2025, here’s a breakdown of what we know about UNC’s 2026 football schedule ahead of Belichick’s second season with the Tar Heels.

UNC football ACC home games in 2026 include Miami, NC State

The Tar Heels will host Louisville, Miami, N.C. State and Syracuse in the 2026 season. UNC will be playing the Cardinals for the first time since 2017 and the Hurricanes for the first time since 2023. The Heels played the Wolfpack and Orange in Belichick’s debut season. Four of UNC’s final six games are at home: Syracuse (Oct. 24), Miami (Oct. 31), Louisville (Nov. 14) and N.C. State (Nov. 28).

UNC football ACC road games in 2026 include Clemson, Duke

The Tar Heels will travel to Clemson, Duke, Pitt and Virginia in the 2026 season. UNC played three of those four teams in 2025, but will be playing the Panthers for the first time under Belichick. Arguably the Tar Heels’ toughest four-game stretch will start Sept. 19 at Clemson before an off week. Following the open date, UNC hosts Notre Dame before consecutive road games at Pitt and Duke.

UNC football nonconference games in 2026 include Notre Dame, TCU in Ireland

The Tar Heels will open the 2026 season against TCU on Saturday, Aug. 29, in Dublin, Ireland, as part of the 2026 Aer Lingus College Football Classic game at Aviva Stadium. Ticket packages can be purchased at http://www.tarheels2ireland.com/. UNC’s nonconference schedule also includes home games against East Tennessee State (Sept. 12) and Notre Dame (Oct. 3). The lone true road game on the nonconference schedule is at UConn on Nov. 7.

UNC football schedule tougher in 2026?

On paper, the Tar Heels’ 2026 schedule looks harder than UNC’s 12-game slate in its debut season with Bill Belichick. Comparing the records of the teams on both schedules, UNC’s 2025 opponents finished the season with a combined mark of 81-73 (52.5% winning percentage), with eight of the 12 opponents logging a winning record. The Tar Heels’ 2026 opponents have a combined record of 103-55 (65.2%), with 11 of the 12 opponents posting a winning record in 2025.