Courtney Banghart and the Tar Heels won’t have any trouble finding the national spotlight during the 2026-27 season.
It was announced that 24 of UNC's games this season will be nationally televised, the most of any program in the ACC, giving Courtney Banghart’s squad plenty of opportunities to showcase itself to a national audience.
Appointment TV📺 pic.twitter.com/4D2va8c9lV
— Carolina Women's Basketball (@uncwbb) October 8, 2026
For a program that continues to elevate its status among the nation’s best, that type of television exposure certainly says something.
North Carolina has made back-to-back trips to the Sweet 16 and has continued building a roster capable of competing with the country's best programs. As the Tar Heels try to take another step forward this season, many people will get to watch them do it.
The national spotlight will be shining brightly on UNC
Of North Carolina’s 24 nationally televised games, 10 will air across ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU, while 12 will be featured on the ACC Network and two more will air on The CW.
The national exposure begins right away.
North Carolina’s season opener against Oklahoma in Paris will air on ESPN2, giving the Tar Heels a major television window for one of the most unique games on their schedule. Just six days later, UNC’s matchup against South Carolina will be featured on ESPN.
And those are far from the only marquee opportunities awaiting the Tar Heels.
Games against NC State, Notre Dame and Duke are among UNC’s scheduled appearances on ESPN, while LSU joins Oklahoma among the opponents the Tar Heels will face on ESPN2.
In other words, some of North Carolina’s biggest games will be played on some of the biggest stages available in the sport.
That matters for more than simply making it easier for Tar Heel fans around the country to watch.
National television exposure has become another valuable tool for programs trying to recruit at an elite level. When North Carolina’s coaching staff sits down with some of the best high school players in the country, being able to point toward nearly two dozen nationally televised games is another strong selling point.
Come to Chapel Hill, compete against some of the best teams in the country and do it with the nation watching. It’s difficult to ask for much more exposure than that.
Banghart and her staff have worked to push North Carolina back toward the upper tier of women’s college basketball. The Tar Heels have become a consistent NCAA Tournament presence, have reached consecutive Sweet 16s and continue to attract high-level talent to Chapel Hill.
Now, the television networks are giving them the type of attention that comes along with that success. Of course, national television appearances only provide the stage. It will be up to the Tar Heels to take advantage of it.
With 24 opportunities to do so, North Carolina will have no shortage of chances to show the rest of the country exactly what this program is capable of.
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