The UNC football program’s upcoming home-and-home series against South Carolina has been cancelled. The Tar Heels were scheduled to visit Columbia in 2028 and host the Gamecocks in Chapel Hill in 2029. In a brief release, UNC said the expanded conference schedules in both the SEC and ACC, which will see schools play nine league games instead of eight, necessitated the change.

The Tar Heels and Gamecocks have met 60 times in total, with UNC leading the series 36-20. There have been four ties. South Carolina has had the edge as of late, winning eight of the last 12 meetings. The last four games between the two have come in Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium, and the sides have split those four games. Three were season openers and the other was the 2021 Duke’s Mayo Bowl, which South Carolina won 38-21.

The most recent on-campus meeting between UNC and South Carolina came in 2013, when the No. 6 Gamecocks beat the Tar Heels 27-10 in Columbia. The last game in Chapel Hill occurred in 2007, with No. 7 South Carolina again winning 21-15. Prior to the 2007 game, the teams hadn’t met for 16 years.

According to FBSchedules.com, the cancellation of the South Carolina series means UNC has two non-conference fixtures on its 2028 schedule: Kennesaw State and North Carolina A&T. The Tar Heels will have to schedule an additional non-conference game to meet the ACC’s requirement of at least 10 games against “Power Four” competition annually. There are no confirmed non-conference opponents in 2029.

For a look at UNC’s 2026 schedule, click here.

 

Featured image via Associated Press/Erik Verduzco

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