All articles tagged with #unc
Patriots coach Bill Belichick says North Carolina is 'way ahead' of last year, with a better culture and talent, and a brighter 2026 outlook aided by a strong recruiting class (20 portal players and 40 freshmen). He noted UNC went 4-8 in 2025 with no drafted players, but said the program is clearly on an upward trajectory and improving steadily.
With training camp approaching, UNC’s quarterback race features four contenders — Billy Edwards Jr., Miles O’Neill, Au’Tori Newkirk and freshman Travis Burgess — all having spring practice after the NCAA eliminated the spring transfer portal window, and Bill Belichick says there’s no clear leader yet, signaling another open competition.
Caleb Wilson dropped 35 points and went 7-for-11 from three in his Chicago Bulls Summer League debut, signaling an NBA-ready shooting stroke that could unlock a versatile role as a small forward and create rim pressure UNC didn’t consistently generate. The breakout reframes his NBA ceiling, feeds Rookie of the Year chatter, and adds fuel to critiques of Hubert Davis’s use of Wilson and UNC’s offensive approach.
Boston used the 20th pick of the 2026 MLB Draft to select UNC shortstop Jake Schaffner, a surprising choice not expected to go in the first round. The Red Sox targeted Schaffner for his contact skills and defense at short, aiming to sign him under-slot to leave money for additional picks. Schaffner, 21, hit .356/.467/.552 with 6 homers, 33 extra-base hits and 26 steals in 68 games for UNC and helped them reach the College World Series finals. Boston envisions him developing more power and a stronger arm in pro ball, and he’ll join UNC roommate Owen Hull, drafted No. 67, in the same draft haul.
Caleb Wilson, the No. 4 pick, exploded for 35 points on 12-for-21 shooting with seven 3-pointers, plus five rebounds, three blocks and two steals in his NBA Summer League debut for Chicago, setting the record for most points in a Summer League debut in a 97-96 loss to Memphis. The UNC alum returned after a five-month layoff following a hand fracture and a thumb injury that ended his college season.
UNC defeated Oklahoma 6-2 in Game 2 of the College World Series final, as freshman Caden Glauber came on in relief to throw five shutout innings with eight strikeouts to help the Tar Heels tie the series at 1-1. The UNC defense and timely offense—led by Gavin Gallaher’s Gold Glove-caliber play and Cooper Nicholson’s multi-hit and productive at-bats, including a two-run homer—overcame an early two-run OU start. Scott Forbes’ leadership and strategic roster moves, plus sturdy bullpen work, kept UNC on track for a decisive Game 3.
Georgia outlasted Mississippi State 11-9 in 10 innings to clinch its first College World Series berth since 2008, while North Carolina walked off USC 4-3 to reach Omaha for the second time in three years; Ole Miss is already in, making the SEC the second school to advance this year. Sunday's results left several other matchups (Alabama–St. John’s, Kansas–Oklahoma, Texas–Oregon) still on the schedule.
After a day that included three doubles, Owen Hull delivered a ninth-inning walk-off single to lift UNC past USC 4-3, sending the Diamond Heels to the College World Series in Omaha for their 13th CWS appearance.
USC rallied for nine runs, including a game-changing grand slam in the sixth, to beat UNC 9-5 in the Chapel Hill super regional opener. Tar Heels starter Ryan Lynch worked 5.2 innings with seven strikeouts before being pulled, as UNC left-loaded early threats unconverted (including bases loaded with nobody out in the first). Mason Edwards pitched well for USC before the bullpen locked it down late, while Erik Paulsen contributed two hits and a heads-up baserunning play. Saturday’s game 2 is set for 2 p.m. with UNC listed as the visiting team.
USC makes a rare West Coast visit to Boshamer Stadium for a pivotal best-of-three super-regional against UNC, featuring USC pitching and a surge on offense after the College Station regional, while the Tar Heels rely on elite defense and steady offense; past West Coast matchups and USC's late-season surge set the stage for a series that could hinge on USC's edge in pitching versus UNC's defense.
North Carolina right-hander Ryan Lynch tossed seven scoreless innings on a career-high 108 pitches, allowing two hits and striking out five to power the Tar Heels to a regional-opening win over VCU and preserve bullpen depth for a winners’-bracket showdown with East Carolina.
Former Western Carolina QB Taron Dickens, who signed with UNC from the transfer portal in February, will re-enter the transfer portal due to academic reasons and has been released by UNC; he threw for 3,508 yards and 38 TDs with a 74.2% completion rate last season and was the 2025 Walter Payton Award runner-up.
North Carolina will face Duke and Louisville both at home and on the road in 2026-27, while seven ACC opponents will visit Chapel Hill and seven will travel to UNC. Clemson is not on the regular-season slate for the first time since 1950-51, and UNC will not have an away game at NC State for the first time since 1947. Home-only opponents are Cal, Georgia Tech, Miami, NC State, SMU, Stanford and Virginia; road-only opponents are Boston College, Florida State, Notre Dame, Pitt, Syracuse, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest.
North Carolina will host the 2026 NCAA Division I Baseball Championship Chapel Hill Regional May 29–31 (with a possible final on June 1), marking the Tar Heels’ 15th regional hosting. Tickets are limited standing-room, with single-game seats $20 and UNC students paying $5 (the first 100 students receive a free ticket). Parking options include paid ramps and free spaces after 5 p.m. Friday–Sunday. The three other regional teams will be announced May 25, and UNC enters with a 45-11-1 record as they chase their 13th Men’s College World Series appearance.
Northwestern overcome an 11-9 fourth-quarter deficit, rattling off a 5-0 run to beat North Carolina 14-11 in Evanston and capture the 2026 NCAA women’s lacrosse title. The Wildcats extend their win streak to 14 and claim their ninth NCAA crown, while UNC’s 10-game winning streak is snapped. Northwestern got four goals from Gabriella McCollester and a hat trick from Addison Pattillo (with six assists from Madison Taylor), plus Eliza Osburn scoring twice. Taylor Lapointe added three and Pattillo contributed a key role as NW’s primary playmaker. For UNC, Chloe Humphrey had 2 goals and 2 assists and tied the NCAA single-season goal record with 109. UNC led 11-9 entering the fourth before Northwestern’s late surge sealed the championship.