WVU Adds North Carolina as Men’s Basketball Schedule Continues to Take Shape
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia has added another major opponent to its 2026-27 men’s basketball schedule, with the Mountaineers set to face North Carolina in Charlotte on Black Friday.
WVU will meet North Carolina on Friday, Nov. 27, in the Dick Vitale Invitational at the Spectrum Center, home of the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets. A tip time and television assignment have not yet been announced.
The game will mark the first meeting between West Virginia and North Carolina in 61 years.
The programs last played on Dec. 31, 1965, when WVU defeated North Carolina, 102-97, in Raleigh. The Mountaineers are 5-0 all time against the Tar Heels.
One of those victories came against a top-ranked North Carolina team in 1957. WVU defeated No. 1 North Carolina, 75-64, to win the Kentucky Invitational Tournament in Lexington, marking the first victory over an Associated Press No. 1-ranked team in West Virginia basketball history.
The addition of North Carolina continues to fill out a 2026-27 schedule that already includes Auburn, Virginia Tech, Pitt and Wake Forest, along with West Virginia’s participation in the Players Era 8 tournament in Las Vegas.
WVU will begin the regular season Nov. 2 against Niagara at Hope Coliseum.
The Mountaineers then head to Las Vegas for three games in three days at the Players Era 8. WVU opens the tournament against Auburn on Nov. 17.
The tournament format means West Virginia’s opponents for the following two games will depend on results. WVU will face either Kansas or UNLV on Nov. 18 before playing Houston, Rutgers, Florida or Notre Dame on Nov. 19.
Eight days later, the Mountaineers will meet North Carolina in Charlotte.
December will include several regional matchups.
Mercyhurst visits Morgantown on Dec. 1, followed by Virginia Tech on Dec. 5. The Virginia Tech game begins a new three-game series between the two programs.
WVU will then travel to Pittsburgh on Dec. 9 for the 193rd basketball edition of the Backyard Brawl against Pitt. The game will be played at PPG Paints Arena in downtown Pittsburgh.
Coppin State comes to Hope Coliseum on Dec. 13 before the Mountaineers travel to Greensboro, North Carolina, to face Wake Forest on Dec. 19 in the Holiday Hoopfest at First Horizon Coliseum.
WVU also currently lists an exhibition game at Maryland on Oct. 18.
WVU men’s basketball schedule announced to date
Oct. 18: at Maryland, exhibition
Nov. 2: Niagara, Hope Coliseum, Morgantown
Nov. 17: Auburn, Players Era 8, Las Vegas
Nov. 18: Kansas or UNLV, Players Era 8, Las Vegas
Nov. 19: Houston, Rutgers, Florida or Notre Dame, Players Era 8, Las Vegas
Nov. 27: North Carolina, Dick Vitale Invitational, Spectrum Center, Charlotte
Dec. 1: Mercyhurst, Hope Coliseum, Morgantown
Dec. 5: Virginia Tech, Hope Coliseum, Morgantown
Dec. 9: Pitt, PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh
Dec. 13: Coppin State, Hope Coliseum, Morgantown
Dec. 19: Wake Forest, Holiday Hoopfest, First Horizon Coliseum, Greensboro
The Big 12 has also announced West Virginia’s conference opponents, although dates and game times have not yet been released.
WVU will play Cincinnati, Iowa State and UCF twice, once at home and once on the road.
Arizona, Arizona State, Houston, Kansas State, Oklahoma State and TCU will visit Morgantown.
West Virginia’s road-only Big 12 opponents will be Baylor, BYU, Colorado, Kansas, Texas Tech and Utah.
The format gives the Mountaineers 18 conference games, with three opponents played twice and the other 12 played once.
Additional games and scheduling details are still expected to be announced before the season.
