The UNC men’s basketball team will play a home-and-home series with the Kansas Jayhawks during the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons, the program announced Monday morning. Carolina will travel to Allen Fieldhouse first, in what will be its first trip to Lawrence since 1960. The following season will see the Jayhawks visit Chapel Hill for the first time ever. The dates have since been reported by Fox Sports’ John Fanta as November 8, 2024 in Lawrence and November 14, 2025 in Chapel Hill.

“These two games should be exciting for players and coaches on both teams and a win for fans of college basketball,” said UNC head coach Hubert Davis. “It’s an opportunity for two great programs to play in each other’s home arenas, which are among the best and most historic in our game.”

UNC and Kansas have met 12 times, with each program winning six times. The Jayhawks have won four straight in the series, including the 2022 national championship game. Seven of the programs’ 12 meetings have come in the NCAA Tournament, including two championship games (split one apiece) and three Final Four matchups (KU leads, 2-1).

Carolina’s only previous visit to Lawrence resulted in a 78-70 victory. The Jayhawks made two visits to the state of North Carolina to play the Tar Heels, both of which resulted in UNC wins. The most recent visit, in 1981, saw the Carolina debut of freshman Michael Jordan.

UNC and Kansas are inextricably linked in college basketball history. Dean Smith was born in Kansas, played for the Jayhawks and served as an assistant coach before arriving in Chapel Hill. UNC alumnus Larry Brown led the Jayhawks to the 1988 NCAA title, before being replaced by former UNC assistant Roy Williams. Williams coached Kansas until 2003, when he came back to Chapel Hill to lead the Tar Heels.

The Tar Heels and Jayhawks are two of the three all-time winningest programs in the history of Division 1 men’s basketball and have combined for 10 national championships, 37 Final Fours, 30 Hall of Famers, 22 national players of the year and 131 first-team All-Americans.

 

Featured image via Todd Melet

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