How To Watch North Carolina Tar Heels Men’s Basketball in 2025
✦ Edited and fact-checked by Junior Sports Writer Alex Vejar, who has been covering sports for 10 years.
A look at the 2025–2026 Tar Heels season
Let’s just be blunt: last season was a massive disappointment. A 23-14 record, a loss to Duke in the ACC Tournament, and an unceremonious exit from the NCAA Tournament in the first round is not the standard in Chapel Hill. As coach Hubert Davis enters his fifth season, he’ll be running a team with 11 new players and just five returners.
This is the biggest roster overhaul in modern program history. The lone rotational player returning is senior guard Seth Trimble, who is now tasked with providing veteran leadership. The roster was rebuilt via the transfer portal, with Kyan Evans (from Colorado State) expected to run the point and Jarin Stevenson (from Alabama) bringing Final Four experience. The real X-factor, though, is 5-star freshman Caleb Wilson, a consensus top-two recruit with one-and-done potential.
The question on every fan’s mind isn’t about talent; it’s about chemistry. We’ll get to see how it all gels across the ACC Network, ABC, ESPN’s family of channels, The CW, FOX, and FS1. This guide is my complete breakdown of how to watch North Carolina basketball this year, the key dates to circle, and the streaming services I recommend to get every single game.
2025–2026 North Carolina men’s basketball TV schedule
The new-look Tar Heels tip off the season on Monday, November 3, but there is no grace period. They’ll get an immediate test against Kansas (Nov. 7) and a brutal non-conference stretch that includes Michigan State (Nov. 27), a trip to Kentucky for the ACC-SEC Challenge (Dec. 2), and a neutral-site game against Ohio State (Dec. 20). As always, the dates that matter most are the two showdowns with Duke: February 7 in Chapel Hill and the regular-season finale on March 7 in Durham.
Here is the complete 2025–26 North Carolina Tar Heels basketball schedule.
| Opponent | Day | Time (ET) | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Arkansas Bears | Monday, Nov. 3 | 7:00 p.m. | ACC Network |
| Kansas | Friday, Nov. 7 | 7:00 p.m. | ESPN |
| Radford Highlanders | Tuesday, Nov. 11 | 7:00 p.m. | ACC Network |
| North Carolina Central Eagles | Friday, Nov. 14 | 9:00 p.m. | ACC Network |
| Navy Midshipmen | Tuesday, Nov. 18 | 7:00 p.m. | ACC Network |
| St. Bonaventure Bonnies | Tuesday, Nov. 25 | 6:00 p.m. | FS1 |
| Michigan State Spartans | Thursday, Nov. 27 | 4:30 p.m. | FOX |
| At Kentucky | Tuesday, Dec. 2 | 9:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Georgetown Hoyas | Sunday, Dec. 7 | 5:00 p.m. | ESPN |
| South Carolina Upstate Spartans | Saturday, Dec. 13 | 2:00 p.m. | The CW |
| East Tennessee State Buccaneers | Tuesday, Dec. 16 | 8:00 p.m. | ACC Network |
| Ohio State Buckeyes | Saturday, Dec. 20 | 3:00 p.m. | CBS |
| East Carolina Pirates | Monday, Dec. 22 | 8:00 p.m. | ACC Network |
| Florida State Seminoles | Tuesday, Dec. 30 | 7:00 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| At SMU Mustangs | Saturday, Jan. 3 | 2:15 p.m. | The CW |
| Wake Forest Demon Deacons | Saturday, Jan. 10 | 6:00 p.m. | ACC Network |
| At Stanford Cardinal | Wednesday, Jan. 14 | 9:00 p.m. | ACC Network |
| At California Golden Bears | Saturday, Jan. 17 | 4:00 p.m. | ACC Network |
| Notre Dame Fighting Irish | Wednesday, Jan. 21 | 7:00 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| At Virginia Cavaliers | Saturday, Jan. 24 | TBD | TBA |
| At Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets | Saturday, Jan. 31 | 2:00 p.m. | ACC Network |
| Syracuse Orange | Monday, Feb. 2 | 7:00 p.m. | ESPN |
| Duke | Saturday, Feb. 7 | 6:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| At Miami Hurricanes | Tuesday, Feb. 10 | 7:00 p.m. | TBA |
| Pittsburgh Panthers | Saturday, Feb. 14 | 2:00 p.m. | ESPN |
| At NC State Wolfpack | Tuesday, Feb. 17 | 7:00 p.m. | TBA |
| At Syracuse Orange | Saturday, Feb. 21 | 1:00 p.m. | ABC |
| Louisville Cardinals | Monday, Feb. 23 | 7:00 p.m. | ESPN |
| Virginia Tech Hokies | Saturday, Feb. 28 | TBD | TBA |
| Clemson Tigers | Tuesday, March 3 | 7:00 p.m. | TBA |
| At Duke | Saturday, March 7 | 6:30 p.m. | ESPN |
Data effective as of post date.
Best TV plans for watching North Carolina men’s basketball
To get 100% of the Tar Heels games, you need a specific collection of channels. The majority of the schedule airs on the ACC Network, ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPNU. National non-conference games will appear on your local ABC, FOX, and The CW affiliates, plus FS1. It’s a wide spread that makes a comprehensive live TV streaming service the easiest all-in-one solution.
My top recommendation is Hulu + Live TV. The service includes the entire suite of ESPN channels, your local affiliates (ABC, FOX, The CW), FS1, and the all-important ACC Network in their base plans. This single subscription gets you all the way there for the entire regular season.
How to watch North Carolina men’s basketball FAQ
Where can I watch North Carolina men's basketball for free?
You can watch some Tar Heel games for free with a good over-the-air (OTA) antenna. An antenna will pick up any games broadcast on your local ABC, FOX, or The CW affiliates. For the vast majority of games on the ACC Network and ESPN, though, you will need a paid TV subscription.
How can I stream North Carolina basketball without cable?
The best way to stream UNC basketball without cable is with a live TV streaming service. My pick is Hulu + Live TV because it carries the complete package of channels you need, including the ACC Network, all ESPN channels, and your local networks. You can watch on your smart TV, phone, or computer.
Can I watch North Carolina basketball on ESPN+?
Yes, ESPN Select (formerly ESPN+) will exclusively stream some of the team's early-season, non-conference matchups. But major ACC and national games shown on ESPN, ESPN2, or the ACC Network are not on ESPN Select. You can stream those games on the ESPN app, but you need the higher-tier ESPN Unlimited plan or a valid TV provider login (like Hulu + Live TV or your cable company).
How do I watch UNC on ACC Network?
ACC Network is the primary home for UNC basketball and airs a large portion of the team's conference schedule. You can get the ACC Network through most cable providers and live TV streaming services like Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, Fubo, and Stream with DIRECTV.
Why you should trust us
Our CableTV.com editorial team cross-referenced the official North Carolina men’s basketball schedule with the channel lineups of every major TV provider. Using those details, we selected our viewing recommendations based on channel availability, pricing, and ease of use.
This guide is updated regularly throughout the season to ensure our information is accurate. To learn more about our methods, check out our How We Rank page.
