UNC football program reveals large portion of 2026 schedule

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The North Carolina Tar Heels fell extremely short of their lofty, preseason expectations on the football field. Their 2025 campaign started with a 34-point loss to TCU, then ended with a 23-point loss at NC State.

It takes time to build dynasties, which is the hope with Bill Belichick leading UNC. As an NFL head coach, Belichick didn’t make the postseason until his fourth year with the Cleveland Browns.

No one is excited about how the 2025 college football season played out in Chapel Hill, but there’s already something to be excited about for the future.

On Tuesday afternoon, North Carolina released its list of 2026 ACC football opponents. The Tar Heels will host Louisville, Miami (FL), NC State and Syracuse at Kenan Stadium next fall, while traveling to Clemson, Duke, Pitt and Virginia.

The Blue Devils won the ACC Championship, despite entering it with five losses, while the Hurricanes are preparing for their first-ever College Football Playoff berth.

Dates and times will arrive at a later date, as will the entire slate of non-conference opponents.

The only 2026 opponent UNC beat this year is Syracuse, with a 31-10 decision on Halloween snapping a 4-game losing streak. North Carolina’s defense appeared to turn a corner at the Orange, allowing just three offensive points, but that success proved short-lived.

The Tar Heels lost by just a touchdown to Duke, one point against Virginia and by 28 to Clemson. Miami or Pitt should’ve played in the 2025 ACC Championship game, while Louisville suffered a collapse that dropped it entirely from the rankings.

This is one of the more exciting schedules in recent memory. Cardinals and Miami fans travel well, Syracuse has plenty of history and the Wolfpack turn Kenan Stadium red. If you’re adventurous, Pitt is the only ACC opponent more than 4.5+ hours away from Chapel Hill.

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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC football’s 2026 ACC schedule to feature Miami, Clemson

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