RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Bill Belichick and UNC football will return to Chapel Hill with a trophy and some momentum to start the 2026 season.
The Tar Heels , who earned a 15-10 win against TCU in the Aer Lingus Classic at Aviva Stadium in Dublin , were nearly double-digit underdogs against the Horned Frogs in Ireland before leaving the Emerald Isle with some crystal.
Putting to rest memories of its blowout loss to TCU in 2025 at Kenan Stadium, UNC used its defense and discipline to take a step forward in Belichick’s second season with the program. But defensive lineman Xavier Lewi s and the Tar Heels will have to wait before attempting to improve their record to 2-0 in 2026.
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Here's when UNC is set to return to the field, including a look at the remaining schedule:
Does UNC football play this week?
No, UNC doesn’t play this week. Following their trip across the Atlantic Ocean, which started with an overnight flight from Raleigh-Durham International Airport on Aug. 26 and ended Aug. 30 with a 7 ½-hour trip back to the Triangle, the Tar Heels will have the first of their two off weeks on the 2026 schedule.
Following the Week 1 break, UNC will host FCS opponent East Tennessee State in the season opener at Kenan Stadium, which is celebrating its 100th season. The Tar Heels and Buccaneers kick off at noon ET in a game that will be televised on ACC Network. It’ll be the lone FCS game of the season for UNC, which then travels to Clemson on Sept. 19 (noon, ESPN).
UNC football schedule 2026
Aug. 29: TCU in Dublin, Ireland (W, 15-10)
Sept. 5: OPEN
Sept. 12: East Tennessee State (Noon, ACC Network) Shop tickets
Sept. 19: at Clemson (Noon, ESPN) Shop tickets
Sept. 26: OPEN
Oct. 3: Notre Dame Shop tickets
Oct. 10: at Pitt Shop tickets
Oct. 17: at Duke Shop tickets
Oct. 24: Syracuse Shop tickets
Oct. 31: Miami Shop tickets
Nov. 7: at UConn (Noon, CBSSN) Shop tickets
Nov. 14: Louisville Shop tickets
Nov. 21: at Virginia Shop tickets
Nov. 28: N.C. State Shop tickets
Rodd Baxley covers North Carolina Tar Heels athletics for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding UNC? Send them to [email protected].
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Does UNC football play this week? 2026 schedule for Bill Belichick, Tar Heels
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