What are the odds UVA basketball hosts ESPN’s College Gameday this season?

UVA basketball has not hosted ESPN’s College Gameday since 2019, the year Tony Bennett’s squad won the national title, and Saturday’s duel with North Carolina looked like a prime opportunity for the pregame show to make its return to Charlottesville in 2026.

The Cavaliers are now in the top-15 of the AP poll, and just two weeks ago, UNC was as high as No. 12. Instead, College Gameday will head to Lubbock, Texas, ahead of No. 12 Texas Tech hosting No. 6 Houston.

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With that potential opportunity now in the rearview mirror for Virginia fans, we’re taking a look at the chances to host for the rest of the season, including whether Virginia’s road opponents have an opportunity to do so while the Cavaliers are in town.

UVA has six Saturday games remaining, three of which are at home against Syracuse (Feb. 7), Miami (Feb. 21), and Virginia Tech (March 7). While none of those teams are currently ranked, things can change quickly in college basketball. The Miami one is particularly intriguing.

Here’s a quick breakdown of how Virginia’s Saturday matchups stack up the rest of the year.

Jan. 24 vs. No. 22 North Carolina, 2 p.m. on ESPN

This was Virginia’s best chance of hosting coming into the season and as recently as two weeks ago.

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The Cavaliers are on a roll, having won five straight to start 2026, including a trio of road games at NC State, then-No. 20 Louisville, and SMU. However, UNC has now lost three of its last four games, all to unranked teams, including its past two games to Stanford and California. After being ranked No. 12 in the AP poll two weeks ago, the Tar Heels have now dropped ten spots to No. 22.

So, despite Virginia’s continued rise in the rankings up to No. 14 in Monday’s latest AP Top 25, the Virginia-North Carolina rivalry was snubbed in favor of No. 12 Texas Tech hosting No. 6 Houston.

As always, the near certainty that the show will go to both UNC-Duke games looms as a notable factor, too. With those two weeks typically…

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Publish date : 2026-01-20 18:50:00

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