Tar Heels Gear Up for Season Opener Against Central Arkansas

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — The 25th-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels will kick off their 2025-26 regular season on Monday, November 3, at 7 p.m. against Central Arkansas in the Smith Center. This opening game will be broadcasted live on the ACC Network.

Carolina enters the season with a strong record in season-opening games, boasting a 103-12 history in such matchups. The Tar Heels have won their last 20 season openers, with their last defeat coming against Santa Clara to start the 2004-05 national championship season.

The home opener also holds significance for Carolina, which has won 23 consecutive home openers since a loss to Hampton at the beginning of the 2001-02 season.

This matchup marks the first-ever contest between the Tar Heels and Central Arkansas. Last season, the Bears struggled with a record of 9-24, finishing with a 4-14 mark in the ASUN Conference.

Head coach John Shulman, who previously served on the coaching staff at Tennessee Tech and Chattanooga, leads the Central Arkansas Bears.

The Tar Heels have just split their preseason games, having lost 78-76 to BYU in Salt Lake City on October 24, followed by a convincing 95-53 victory against Winston-Salem State at home on October 29.

In preseason rankings, the media has predicted the Tar Heels to finish third in the 18-team Atlantic Coast Conference. Notably, a Tar Heel player was also named to the preseason All-ACC second team.

In terms of roster changes, Carolina comes into the season with 11 new players, including six collegiate transfers and three freshmen. This marks a shift from last season, where they return just 14% of their scoring.

The contest against Central Arkansas will be the first time UNC has played a regular season game without guard Caleb Love since March 11, 2020. Love, who has had a standout career at Carolina, was instrumental in the program’s past success.

For fans looking to experience the excitement of college basketball, the Tar Heels’ season opener promises to be a thrilling encounter as they seek to maintain their strong home performance and build on their storied history.