North Carolina basketball’s increasingly impressive 2026-27 non-conference schedule has another game officially locked into place.
The Tar Heels will face West Virginia on Friday, Nov. 27 in the second annual Dick Vitale Invitational at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte. The matchup had previously been reported in May by Rocco Miller, but the official announcement now puts another major date onto Michael Malone’s first schedule as North Carolina’s head coach.
Advertisement
The Dick Vitale Invitational debuted last season with Duke facing Texas at the Spectrum Center. The event was created by ESPN Events in collaboration with the Charlotte Sports Foundation as an annual celebration of the legendary broadcaster, his impact on college basketball, and his extensive philanthropic work in the fight against cancer.
This time around, North Carolina gets the opportunity to represent the state — and do so against an opponent the Tar Heels have surprisingly never defeated.
Carolina is 0-5 all-time against West Virginia. Even more remarkably, the two schools haven’t met in more than six decades. Their most recent matchup came in December 1965 during the early years of Dean Smith’s tenure, with West Virginia winning 102-97.
That historical angle gives what was already an intriguing neutral-site game another layer of interest.
Advertisement
West Virginia is coming off a 21-14 season in which the Mountaineers finished 9-9 in Big 12 play before winning the College Basketball Crown. They will also bring a highly regarded group of newcomers into the 2026-27 season, making this another worthwhile early-season test for Malone and a largely reworked North Carolina roster.
For UNC, the matchup also continues a loaded non-conference philosophy. With the regular season expanding to 32 games and the ACC schedule consisting of 18 contests, the Tar Heels have 14 non-conference opportunities to build their NCAA Tournament résumé and prepare for league play.
Playing a Big 12 opponent at the Spectrum Center checks plenty of boxes. It offers quality competition, another neutral-site résumé opportunity and a game in Charlotte that should feel anything but neutral given the proximity to Chapel Hill and UNC’s massive alumni and fan presence throughout the state.
It also gives the Tar Heels a chance to finally accomplish something no previous Carolina team has done: beat West Virginia.
Advertisement
Tip time and television information have not yet been announced.
Outside of the West Virginia game, we have some level of knowledge of 12 of the other 13 non-conference matchups (seven of which, UNC has listed on its 2026-27 schedule).
-
EXHIBITION | Sunday, Oct. 18 | vs. Indiana | Gainbridge Fieldhouse | Indianapolis
-
Monday, Nov. 2 | vs. Western Carolina | Chapel Hill, NC
-
Friday, Nov. 6 | vs. Wofford | Chapel Hill, NC
-
Tuesday, Nov. 10 | vs. Wyoming | Chapel Hill, NC
-
Friday, Nov. 13 | vs. Georgia | Chapel Hill, NC
-
Friday, Nov. 20 | vs. Marshall | Chapel Hill, NC
-
Friday, Nov. 27 | vs. West Virginia | Dick Vitale Invitational | Spectrum Center | Charlotte, NC
-
Tuesday, Dec. 1 | vs. Arkansas | ACC/SEC Challenge | Chapel Hill, NC
-
Sunday, Dec. 6 | vs. Butler | Chapel Hill, NC
-
Saturday, Dec. 12 | at Georgetown | Washington, D.C.
-
Tuesday, Dec. 15 | vs. NC State | Greensboro Coliseum | Greensboro, NC | NOTE: Does NOT count in ACC standings
-
Saturday, Dec. 19 | vs. Kentucky | CBS Sports Classic | Madison Square Garden | New York, NY
-
Monday, Dec. 21 | vs. The Citadel | Chapel Hill, NC
-
Saturday, Jan. 30 | vs. Illinois | Bridgestone Arena | Nashville, TN
-
1 more non-conference game TBA
