Ranking Every Opponent UNC Will Face in 2026-27 Season

Looking ahead at the Tar Heels’ schedule for the 2026-27 season, there are plenty of talented teams that will test the Heels before March.

The ACC looks a lot stronger this season, and North Carolina has buffed up their non-conference schedule to feature many tough opponents that could give the Tar Heels some early trouble to start the season.

Jan 3, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; A view of the North Carolina Tar Heels logo on the shorts of forward Caleb Wilson (8) during the second half against the SMU Mustangs at Moody Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With that, I decided to rank each of the opponents the Heels will face in year one under Michael Malone, separated by tiers based on the difficulty they’ll present to North Carolina.

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Tier Seven

Western Carolina, Wofford, The Citadel, Monmouth, Marshall

Dec 18, 2025; Athens, Georgia, USA; Western Carolina Catamounts guard Cord Stansberry (0) dribbles against the Georgia Bulldogs in the second half at Stegeman Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Mady Mertens-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

North Carolina gets to start the season off with a couple of warm-up games. Home visits from Western Carolina and Wofford to start the season may be exactly what Michael Malone needs to get his guys connected through live competition.

The Citadel provides a nice break in between two formidable teams in the non-conference slate, and Monmouth and Marshall both project to be easy early wins to settle the Heels into the season.

Tier Six

Wyoming, Georgia Tech, Boston College

Dec 7, 2024; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Jaeden Mustaf (3) dribbles with the ball during the first half of the game against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Two of the less threatening teams in the ACC land in the sixth tier. Wyoming is an early-season home game, as is Georgia Tech, while the…

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Publish date : 2026-09-02 18:22:00

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