3 takeaways from UNC's 2026 schedule

Bill Belichick did not have the best first year at North Carolina last year. The Tar Heels went 4-8 and won just two conference games. All UNC can do is put that behind them and move on to the next season.

The UNC 2026 college football schedule was just recently released this week. There is a lot to take away and look at, which is exactly what we are going to do today.

Your 2026 North Carolina Football Schedule. 🐏

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Here are three takeaways from UNC’s 2026 schedule.

Revenge in Dublin

UNC, UNC Football — Jackson McCurdy, North Carolina Tar Heels On SI

The Tar Heels' opening game last year was on prime time, Monday night, with the whole world watching. People were stoked to see how one of the greatest NFL head coaches of all time would do in college.

Belichick and the Tar Heels opened up in Chapel Hill to take on Texas Christian University. UNC started hot, scoring on its opening possession. Then everything took a turn for the worse. TCU beat the Tar Heels 48-14 and spoiled the party in Chapel Hill. That is about how the rest of the season went for the Tar Heels.

UNC, UNC Football, Jordan Shipp — Jackson McCurdy, North Carolina Tar Heels On SI

UNC will travel to Dublin, Ireland, on Aug. 29, 2026, for revenge on TCU in Week 0 of the college football season. No home-field advantage, no added pressure, just Belichick and his squad on a business trip. The Tar Heels have the opportunity to right the wrong from last season and get off to a good start.

3 massive home games

The Tar Heels were 2-4 at home last season, and this year it will not be any easier, as they have some big-time matchups coming to town. In Week 5, on Oct. 3, 2026, Notre Dame will be in Chapel Hill. The Fighting Irish went 10-2 last season and just missed out on the College Football Playoff.

This will be a huge test for the Tar Heels, but if they can pull off the upset, they could be set up for a historic season.

The national champion runner-up, the Miami Hurricanes, will be in town on Oct. 31, 2026, in Week 9 of the season. The Hurricanes and Tar Heels never faced off last season, so it will be a fresh matchup in the Belichick era. The Hurricanes are coming off a loss in the national championship game, so they are looking to repeat that success and get back to the big game.

UNC will have a good idea of who they are after this game at this point in the season.

Week 11 brings the Louisville Cardinals on Nov. 14, 2026. Once again, another new matchup for Belichick and his staff, as they did not play the Cardinals last season. After a good start, the Cardinals had a disappointing end to their 2025 season. They will be looking to bounce back and compete for an ACC title.

Bowl Eligible is in play

Bill Belichick — Grant Chachere, North Carolina Tar Heels On SI

It will not be easy, but UNC could very well make a bowl game this upcoming season. Due to their not-so-favorable schedule, they will have to beat the teams they should and bring home a couple big-time wins. It is not a cakewalk, but it is very manageable.

TCU, East Tennessee State, UConn, North Carolina State and Syracuse are all manageable games. If they improve and take care of business, Belichick may have his men in a bowl game at the end of the year. A 4-8 year to a bowl game would be a great improvement for the program and something to get fans excited for.

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