All eyes in the college basketball world will turn to Chapel Hill on Friday night. Your North Carolina Tar Heels, fresh off a 40-point blowout of Central Arkansas in their season-opener, will host the Kansas Jayhawks for a 7 p.m. tip-off.
While legendary UNC (1-0) head coach Roy Williams used to lead Kansas (1-0) for 15 season, history between the two blue bloods runs deeper. North Carolina first faced the Jayhawks way back in 1957 – and battled last season for the 13th time.
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If we’re looking at recent matchups alone, this matchup is fairly one-sided. Kansas won each of its past five contests against the Tar Heels, including the 2022 National Championship game. UNC last beat the Jayhawks on November 27, 2002, back when Raymond Felton and Sean May wore the Carolina Blue jerseys.
North Carolina is well-equipped to beat Kansas on Friday night, though. Despite bringing 11 new players into their season, the Tar Heels upgraded in size and talent across the board.
Seth Trimble, back for his fourth and final year of college basketball, returns to take on a leadership role. Kyan Evans and Henri Veesaar give UNC Power Four experience from the transfer portal, Caleb Wilson is poised to be a superstar, while Luka Bogavac brings four seasons of pro ball from playing overseas.
North Carolina is a much deeper team this year, playing all 16 guys against Central Arkansas on Monday. Zayden High, Derek Dixon, Isaiah Denis, Jonathan Powell and Jarin Stevenson are expected to be top reserves who play occasional starting minutes, but the talent spans further.
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Kansas, which hasn’t missed the Big Dance since 1989, counters with a couple stars you might recognize in Flory Bidunga and Top-10 recruit Darryn Peterson. The Jayhawks also carry talented freshman Kohl Rosario, whom the Tar Heels offered earlier in 2025
If you’re going to the Dean Dome, have fun. The stands should be packed from head-to-toe – in both Carolina and Kansas Blue. If you’re watching on TV, your favorite streaming device, listening on the radio or somewhere else, keep reading below for more broadcast information.
What channel is UNC vs. Kansas on Friday? Time, TV schedule, radio
TV Channel: ESPN
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Time: 7 p.m. ET
Radio: SiriusXM (Channel 193 and 198)
Website: WatchESPN
Where to watch UNC vs. Kansas on live stream
UNC vs. Kansas prediction, picks, odds
The Tar Heels won their season-opener with little resistance, walloping Central Arkansas 94-54. North Carolina’s next test, a Kansas squad with an equally-storied history, is a significantly tougher opponent.
UNC will be tested by a talented Jayhawks squad filled with star power. Kansas knows a thing or two about beating the Tar Heels, winning the last five matchups dating back to 2008, but hasn’t played in front of a packed Dean Dome crowd before.
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Wilson wins his Top 10 battle against Peterson, North Carolina’s bench depth is the deciding factor and a close, signature win send fans into endless cheers.
Score prediction: UNC 72, Kansas 68
Full UNC basketball schedule
October 4: Blue-White Scrimmage (White 55, Blue 50)
Oct. 24: at BYU (preseason, L 78-76)
Oct. 29: vs. Winston-Salem State (preseason, W 95-53)
Nov. 3: vs. Central Arkansas (W, 94-54)
Nov. 7: vs. Kansas (7 p.m.)
Nov. 11: vs. Radford (7 p.m.)
Nov. 14: vs. NC Central (9 p.m.)
Nov. 18: vs. Navy (7 p.m.)
Nov. 25: vs. St. Bonaventure in Fort Myers (Fla.) Tip-Off (6 p.m.)
Nov. 27: vs. Michigan State in Fort Myers (Fla.) Tip-Off (4:30 p.m.)
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December 2: at Kentucky (9:30 p.m.)
Dec. 7: vs. Georgetown (5 p.m.)
Dec. 13: vs. USC Upstate (2 p.m.)
Dec. 16: vs. ETSU (8 p.m.)
Dec. 20: vs. Ohio State in CBS Sports Classic (3 p.m. in Atlanta, Ga.)
Dec. 22: vs. East Carolina (8 p.m.)
Dec. 30: vs. Florida State (2:15 p.m.)
January 3, 2026: at SMU (2:15 p.m.)
Jan. 10, 2026: vs. Wake Forest (6 p.m.)
Jan. 14, 2026: at Stanford (9 p.m.)
Jan. 17, 2026: at California (4 p.m.)
Jan. 21, 2026: vs. Notre Dame (7 p.m.)
Jan. 24, 2026: at Virginia (TBA)
Jan. 31, 2026: at Georgia Tech (2 p.m.)
Feb. 2, 2026: vs. Syracuse (7 p.m.)
Feb. 7, 2026: vs. Duke (6:30 p.m.)
Feb. 10, 2026: at Miami (FL) (7 p.m.)
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Feb. 14, 2026: vs. Pitt (2 p.m.)
Feb. 17, 2026: at NC State (7 p.m.)
Feb. 21, 2026: at Syracuse (1 p.m.)
Feb. 23, 2026: vs. Louisville (7 p.m.)
Feb. 28, 2026: vs. Virginia Tech (TBA)
March 3, 2026: vs. Clemson (7 p.m.)
March 7, 2026: at Duke (6:30 p.m.)
March 10-14, 2026: ACC Tournament in Spectrum Center (Charlotte, N.C.)
This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC Basketball: Channel, time, streaming information, odds vs. Kansas
