UNC's Nonconference NC State Game is Set, And It's Not What Any Fan Expected

Alright, Seattle! Grab your coffee, maybe a beer if it's past noon, because the news out of Chapel Hill today about UNC basketball's 2026-27 schedule is wild, and frankly, it's got me thinking about our own squads. Imagine the intensity! Wednesday was a total bomb drop, announcing neutral-site matchups against Illinois and none other than NC State. This isn't just schedule filler, folks, this is the kind of heat we crave here in the Emerald City, the kind of games that get you hyped like Jordan Morris scoring a game-winner at Lumen Field!

That Illinois Showdown And The Stacked Schedule

First off, mark your calendars: January 30th. That's when UNC is gonna clash with Illinois down in Nashville at Bridgestone Arena. Can you believe it? These two haven't met since way back in the 2010-11 season, so you know there's some serious history on the line. Illinois, coming off a Final Four run last season, is no joke, and UNC just threw down the gauntlet with this one. Elite competition! It makes you wonder if our own Kraken, with Matty Beniers leading the charge, could handle a hockey schedule this brutal, eh? Beyond Illinois, they're lining up a gauntlet: an exhibition with Indiana in Indianapolis, then regular season starts with Western Carolina, Wofford, Wyoming, Georgia (NCAA Tourney First Round last year), Marshall, West Virginia (in Charlotte, still gotta finalize that one!), Arkansas (Sweet 16!), Butler, Georgetown, Kentucky (NCAA Tourney Second Round, that one's in MSG!), and The Citadel. That's fourteen non-league games, the max allowed, with just one exhibition left to announce. Talk about loading up!

NC State Rivalry Goes Rogue?

But the real head-scratcher, the one that blew my mind, is this NC State situation. You know the history, right? UNC and NC State are usually locked-in ACC rivals. Now, with how the league schedule is, they were only gonna play once this season, at the Smith Center. Last year, in their single meeting,

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UNC lost to the Wolfpack in Raleigh. Ouch! So they added another game! A nonconference clash on December 15th at the Greensboro Coliseum! It won't count for ACC standings, but trust me, it’s going to be fireworks. This is like when the Seahawks or Mariners face a rival in a preseason game that means more for pride than the scoreboard, you know? They did something similar in football with Wake Forest, a non-conference home-and-home. It’s a bold move, expected to happen. What a way to juice up a rivalry! You know Cal Raleigh would be all over that intensity.

Jordan Hall's Gritty Grind

And while we're talking about pure grit, let's switch gears to the gridiron for a sec. Over on the football side, offensive lineman Jordan Hall is shaping up for his redshirt junior season at North Carolina, and this guy is a workhorse. Last year, in his first season with the Tar Heels, he put in serious time at left tackle: 212 snaps across five games, earning four starts. You gotta respect that kind of dedication, especially when you see the numbers: he allowed just one sack, two quarterback hits, and eight hurries, with only three penalties. That’s solid! He's a transfer from UAB, where he redshirted in 2023 and then played all 12 games in 2024, starting once. That's the kind of quiet, consistent effort that builds champions, the kind of foundational play you need, whether it's Sam Darnold in the pocket or Vince Dunn on the blue line. It's not always flashy, but it's essential. So yeah, Chapel Hill is cooking up some serious competition, both on the court and the field. They're just waiting on that last exhibition game announcement and the ACC schedule dates for basketball, but man, what a slate! It just proves that every team, everywhere, is grinding to get better. It gets me fired up for what Rashid Shaheed and Cooper Kupp are going to bring to the Seahawks this fall. It reminds us why we love this game: the rivalries, the big matchups, the players laying it all out there. Keep that energy high, Seattle, because it's gonna be a wild ride!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.