With North Carolina less than three months from formally opening practice ahead of the 2024-25 season, its schedule is essentially set in stone.
The ACC announced in February the conference matchups for all 18 teams that will compete in the league this coming season. California, Stanford, and SMU are the newcomers, and with the conference keeping its 20-game league slate intact, it means ACC teams will only have home-and-homes with three teams moving forward.
As for the nonconference part of North Caolina’s schedule, it's just about set.
UNC opens the season at home against Elon on November 4. Then, the Tar Heels visit Kansas to take on the Jayhawks at Allen Fieldhouse on November 8. This will be UNC’s second trip to Lawrence, KS, as the first was a Carolina win in December of 1960. The Jayhawks will return to the visit to UNC in November 2025.
The Heels return home to take on American on November 15. It should be noted that Jackie Manuel is an assistant with the Eagles. He started on UNC’s 2005 national championship team, and has coached at Carolina, including under Hubert Davis during his first two seasons at the helm.
In addition, UNC plays at Hawaii on November 22 three days before taking part in the eight-team, three-game Maui Invitational, which is slated for November 25-27. The other seven teams in the event are Connecticut, Iowa State, Dayton, Memphis, Michigan State, Auburn, and Colorado.
Due to the devastating wildfires in Maui last year, the tournament was played in Honolulu last November, but is moving back to the Lahaina Civic Center this season.
UNC is slated to host Alabama in the ACC/SEC Challenge on December 4. The Heels faced Tennessee at the Smith Center last season, so that's consecutuve years Carolina is at home in the event.
Carolina hosts LaSalle of the Atlantic 10 on December 14, and three days later, takes on Florida in the Jumpman Invitational in Charlotte. UNC has already faced Michigan and Oklahoma the last two years in the event.
North Carolina will meet UCLA in the CBS Sports Classic on December 21 at Madison Square Garden. The event is scheduled for two more years, and with UCLA set to join the Big Ten this summer, conference foes meeting in events like this are rare and frowned upon, and it would happen if and when UNC and UK face each other, like they did last December in Atlanta.
Multiple reports recently circulated UNC will host Campbell on December 29, but THI has not been able to confirm that yet.
UNC has 12 nonconference games because by playing at Hawaii in a scheduled game, it does not count against its allottment of 11 games, including three sanctioned contests.
As an example of the Hawaii rule, all Big West teams play up to 32 games before conference tournament play because each must travel to Honolulu to face the Rainbow Warriors. So, UNC will play 32 games before starting the postseason in the ACC Tournament.
Now, for the ACC schedule, Carolina’s home-and-home opponents are Duke, NC State, and Pittsburgh. The Tar Heels will play the rest of their league foes just once each.
The other seven road games are at Clemson, Florida State, Louisville, Notre Dame, Syracuse, Virginia Tech, and Wake Forest. The other seven home games are against Boston College, Cal, Geogia Tech, Miami, SMU, Stanford, and Virginia.
UNC’s 2024-25 Non-ACC Basketball Schedule
Nov. 4 – Elon
Nov. 8 – @ Kansas
Nov. 15 – American
Nov. 22 - @ Hawaii
Nov. 25-27 – Maui Invitational*
Dec. 4 - Alabama (ACC/SEC Challenge)
Dec. 14 – LaSalle
Dec. 17 – Vs. Florida in Charlotte (Jumpman Invitational)%
Dec. 21 – Vs. UCLA in NYC (Madison Square Garden)#%
Dec. 29 - Campbell (unconfirmed)
*= Maui Invitational field: UNC, Connecticut, Iowa State, Dayton, Memphis, Michigan State, Auburn, and Colorado.
#= CBS Sports Classic
%= Not formally announced yet
ACC Opponents
Home and Home: Duke; NC State; Pitt
Home only: Boston College; Cal; Georgia Tech; Miami; SMU; Stanford; Virginia
Away only: Clemson; Florida State; Louisville; Notre Dame; Syracuse; Virginia Tech; Wake Forest.
