UNC, Kansas men’s basketball teams announce rare home-and-home regular-season series

For the first time in the storied history of two of the premier men’s college basketball programs in the country, the University of Kansas men’s team will visit Chapel Hill to play against UNC.

The schools announced a home-and-home series for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons Monday. The Tar Heels’ trip to Lawrence will be their second, and their home game against the Jayhawks will be the first meeting between the schools in Chapel Hill.

“These two games should be exciting for players and coaches on both teams and a win for fans of college basketball,” UNC coach Hubert Davis said in a release. “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.”

The Tar Heels and Jayhawks have played 12 times, with each team winning six games, including four straight wins by KU over the past 16 seasons. They last played in the 2022 national championship game in New Orleans, a 72-69 Kansas victory.

North Carolina won its only game in Lawrence, on December 17, 1960, a 78-70 win at Allen Fieldhouse during former head coach Dean Smith’s third season with the program. The teams have also played two regular-season games in North Carolina, the first in 1959 at Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh, and second in Charlotte in 1981 — when Michael Jordan made his collegiate debut.

Kansas and UNC have combined for 10 championships, 247 wins and 37 Final Fours in 103 NCAA Tournament appearances.

North Carolina has yet to formally announce its 2023-24 nonconference schedule.

This story was originally published July 24, 2023 at 12:39 PM with the headline "UNC, Kansas men’s basketball teams announce rare home-and-home regular-season series."