Tar Heel fans will get an early look at the 2026-2027 UNC women's basketball team

Before they head to Paris, France, we're going to get an early glimpse of Courtney Banghart's team for the 2026-2027 season.

On Wednesday, the UNC women's basketball program announced that they will host an exhibition game against Davidson on Sunday, October 18. For those keeping track, it's the same day as the men's exhibition game against Indiana at Gainbridge Fieldhouse and is the day following UNC football's rivalry matchup at Duke.

This will serve as UNC's lone home exhibition matchup before the official season gets underway. The last time these two programs matched up was in 2023, a game the Tar Heels held on to win by a final score of 74-70. All-time, the Tar Heels have handled Davidson well, winning all of the five meetings between the two programs.

While this year's roster features some very familiar faces, such as senior Reniya Kelly, redshirt junior Ciera Toomey and sophomore Nyla Brooks, there are some newcomers who are expected to play big roles for this year's squad.

Kate Harpring brings her talents to Chapel Hill after being regarded as the top prospect in her recruiting class, while the Tar Heels once again loaded up in the transfer portal with the additions of Achol Akot (Oklahoma State), Sophie Burrows (Syracuse), Chloe Clardy (Stanford), and Gabby White (Virginia).

It's not a rebuild for UNC but more of a reload. Banghart and her staff have their eyes set on taking this program to even greater levels, looking to build upon two Sweet 16 appearances over the past three seasons.

While trips to the Sweet 16 are nice, the Tar Heels want to be playing in the Elite 8 and, eventually, the Final Four.

The non-conference schedule has been revealed, and once again the Tar Heels will square off against a competitive 14-game slate before starting conference play. North Carolina won't just play a handful of non-conference games at home, but will have trips to Paris and Orlando to look forward to as well.

Now, we all need to reset our calendars, because we will fortunately get to see this new-look team in action earlier than any of us anticipated.

Let the countdown to exhibition tip-off begin!

2026-27 North Carolina Women's Basketball Non-Conference Schedule
Nov. 2 – vs. Oklahoma (Oui Play / Paris, France)
Nov. 8 – vs. South Carolina (Ally Tipoff / Charlotte, N.C.)
Nov. 11 – NC Central (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
Nov. 14 – at Penn (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Nov. 19 – vs. Texas Tech (WBCA Showcase / Orlando, Fla.)
Nov. 21 – vs. Alabama (WBCA Showcase / Orlando, Fla.)
Nov. 24 – Gardner-Webb (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
Nov. 27 – Army (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
Nov. 29 – Brown (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
Dec. 2 – LSU (SEC/ACC Challenge / Chapel Hill, N.C.)
Dec. 6 – Elon (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
Dec. 9 – Winthrop (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
Dec. 21 – Norfolk State (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
Dec. 28 – UNCW (Chapel Hill, N.C.)

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