An exhibition game between UNC men’s basketball players called the Blue-White scrimmage, originally scheduled for the morning of September 9 in the Dean Smith Center, has been canceled.

Several players shared the news on their social media pages on Thursday afternoon, reposting a statement made by Pro Campus U and G3 College — organizations not affiliated with the university who were organizing the event.

“Due to recently updated NCAA guidance around student-athletes and NIL, the Blue-White Scrimmage on September 9 is cancelled and will not be allowed,” reads the message.

A screenshot from Armando Bacot’s Instagram page on August 24, sharing a statement that the 2023 Blue-White game was cancelled.

Full refunds will be given to fans who paid the $20 to attend the game. No further action is required to receive a refund. Refunds will also be issued to fans who paid for team autographs, which were also canceled.

The Blue-White game was a longtime tradition for the UNC men’s basketball program until Roy Williams took over as head coach. Williams elected to play a second preseason exhibition instead of hosting the intra-squad scrimmage. The Blue-White game made its return in 2022 as a way to utilize the recently granted NIL (name, image, and likeness) rights for players to earn money. Last year’s scrimmage was also held at the Dean Smith Center, but players were not allowed to wear school logos and there was limited in-stadium production for the event.

UNC will host an exhibition game against St. Augustine’s on Friday, October 27 in the Smith Center. The regular season will officially get underway on Monday, November 6, when the Tar Heels host Radford in Chapel Hill.

 

Featured image via Todd Melet

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