The North Carolina Tar Heels won’t be taking part in a significant in-state rivalry matchup set to take place in the near future.
Earlier this week, the Tar Heels announced that they have cancelled their home-and-home with South Carolina for the 2028 and 2029 season, robbing fans of both programs the chance to see their respective teams match up.
Last Matchup Between Two Teams
The two teams last met on Sept. 2, 2023. That day, the Tar Heels came out on top with a 31-17 victory thanks to Drake Maye’s two touchdowns through the air, and Omarion Hampton’s pair of rushing touchdowns. The Tar Heels have won 35 of the 59 all-time matchups between the two teams in their history.
The rivalry was first set up all the way back in May of 2021. The Tar Heels were set to visit South Carolina early in the 2028 season, with the Gamecocks returning the favor the following season. Now, the in-state power conference rivalry won’t take place at all.
It should be noted that both the SEC and the ACC have opted to switch to nine-game conference schedules — which starts in the 2026 season. Additionally, the ACC is requiring its teams to play at least 10 games against Power Four schools per season.
UNC Undergoing Changes
The move comes amidst a lot of shakeup for North Carolina over the past 12 months. They just wrapped up the first season under new head coach Bill Belichick — yes, the 6-time Super Bowl winning head coach of the New England Patriots — and it didn’t go quite as planned…