Kansas and UNC’s Historic Ties Prove They Should Play Annually

In a game that featured two blue blood programs, No. 25 North Carolina defeated No. 19 Kansas after it scored 58 points in the second half to win 87-74 on Nov. 7.

Nov 7, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis with guard Seth Trimble (7) in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The game stood out for two clear reasons: both teams are among college basketball's biggest brands, boasting a combined 10 national championships (UNC has six, Kansas has four), and the matchup featured two potential top-five picks in the NBA Draft—Carolina's Caleb Wilson and Kansas's Darryn Peterson.

However, with the conclusion of last week's games, the programs have only met 14 times, and remarkably, it was the first time the two teams had ever played in Chapel Hill. This is surprising given their shared history—Dean Smith played for Kansas before coaching at Carolina, and Roy Williams has coached at both schools.

🎥 Scott Smith, the son of famous Carolina coach Dean Smith, gave Kansas officials Coach Smith's college varsity jacket from the 1952 NCAA championship team. Kansas plans to include the jacket in their Hall of Fame. pic.twitter.com/4C3TXLsSw7
— InsideCarolina (@InsideCarolina) November 8, 2025

In fact, the only time these powerhouse programs usually meet is in the NCAA Tournament, where they have faced each other seven times—the most recent being the 2022 national championship game in New Orleans. In that matchup, Kansas edged North Carolina 72-69, capturing the school's fourth national title and Bill Self's second as head coach.

The first meeting was in the 1957 National Championship game, a game in which Carolina bested a Wilt Chamberlain-led Kansas team by a score of 54-53 in triple overtime to win its first national championship in program history.

Nov 7, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Kansas Jayhawks head coach Bill Self with North Carolina Tar Heels guard Seth Trimble (7) after the game at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

As a college basketball fan myself, it's a travesty that these two programs don't play each other more considering the history between the two programs.

If these two programs faced each other every season, the matchup would always generate excitement, easily earning a spot on every college basketball fan’s calendar given the storied stature of both teams.

It’s also the kind of game that would draw in even casual basketball fans, which benefits not only both programs financially but also the networks broadcasting the game, whether that’s ESPN, CBS or Fox.

Since both programs recruit top-tier players, often from the same talent pool, an annual game between North Carolina and Kansas would create a major recruiting spotlight for elite prospects.

Nov 7, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels center Henri Veesaar (13) scores as Kansas Jayhawks forward Flory Bidunga (40) defends in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

With Kansas athletic director Travis Goff, a KU alumnus, in attendance, Kansas head coach Bill Self advocated for this matchup to be played more frequently in the regular season, ideally with games rotating between Chapel Hill and Lawrence, Kansas.

"My personal opinion, and I know an athletic director is in the background back here, but I think this is a series that, if you're going to play a big-time series, it can't beat Kansas and Carolina. I think it's a good game for us. I can't imagine it not being a good game for you. We can both learn from it and be part of something that's bigger than our game. To me, that was fun to be a part of."

North Carolina head coach Hubert Davis said it was a great opportunity for his players to face a program like Kansas this early in the season, especially one so uniquely tied to Carolina.

Nov 7, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Caleb Wilson (8) dunks the ball as guard Seth Trimble (7) jumps in the background near the end of the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

"Having an opportunity for us to go there, and for the first time, Kansas coming here on campus, that's history. And I think that's something that I want our players to always experience and be a part of. I mean, this is nothing absent of Carolina, we always try to play the best competition and be able to compete. But, the connection of UNC and Kansas is not just my connection, but Coach Smith, Coach Williams."

"Carolina is not Carolina without Kansas. And Kansas isn't Kansas without Carolina"

UNC — Aug 4, 2009; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heel former head coach Dean Smith and former player Michael Jordan talk during the Professional Alumni game at the Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Carolina and Kansas both not only have tradition, but they will always be connected by divine virtue. Dean Smith played for Kansas’ first national championship in 1952 and nine years late would become UNC’s head coach for the next 36 seasons, leading the Tar Heels to two national titles.

Roy Williams is a UNC alumnus and a legendary coach at both schools, leading each program to multiple national championship game appearances and winning all three of his national titles at North Carolina. Williams, whom Davis succeeded, was greeted throughout the game by many of his former Kansas players as well as those he coached at Carolina last Friday night.

"I wasn't able to see it, but I heard about this: I think it's pretty cool that so many former Kansas players were coming up to Coach Williams, because he's meant so much obviously here, but he's a huge part of Kansas basketball as well. To see him get that love on both sides, I am just really happy for him."

Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown played and served as an assistant at UNC before having success as a Hall of Fame head coach at the college and professional levels. Brown also served as the head coach at Kansas from 1983 to 1988 and won the national championship his final season with “Danny and the Miracles”. Self considers Brown his coaching mentor.

The father of North Carolina assistant coach Brad Frederick, Bob, served as the athletic director at Kansas from 1988 to 2001 and was the one who hired Williams at Kansas.

If you want to know what the connection between Carolina and Kansas means, check out what Self said after the game:

"When I walked in here, the Dean Smith Center, it just had the feel of class," Self said. "And I actually think that we have that same feel when you guys came to our place last year. I've said this, and even though I'm disappointed we lost."

Nov 7, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Kansas Jayhawks head coach Bill Self in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

After he talked about how his team will learn from this experience and get better as the season goes along, he dropped this quote and it perfectly sums up everything.

"Carolina is not Carolina without Kansas. And Kansas isn't Kansas without Carolina. There's no way that you can look at it and feel any different based on the intertwined history of both programs."

Mic drop.

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