Introducing the ACC: North Carolina Tar Heels

We profile Cal's rivals in a new league: the Atlantic Coast Conference

Michael Jordan releases his game-winning shot in the 1982 NCAA title game. / Photo courtesy of UNC Athletics

After more than a century as a member of the Pac-12 Conference, Cal has moved into the Atlantic Coast Conference. To introduce Cal fans to the Bears’ new conference, we will profile each of the other ACC schools.  Today: North Carolina

NORTH CAROLINA

NICKNAME: Tar Heels

MASCOT: Rameses

LOCATION: Chapel Hill, NC (pop. 62,098)

MILES FROM BERKELEY: 2,390 miles

MAJOR AIRPORT: Raleigh-Durham International Airport, Morrisville, NC

YEAR FOUNDED: 1789

ENROLLMENT 29,469

TUITION: $8,998 (in-state), $39,338 (out-of-state)

CAMPUS LANDMARK: The Old Well, regarded as the university’s “iconic visual symbol,” according to the UNC official website, is located on the site of the school’s primary source of water for its first 100 years. It’s the scene of marriage proposals and graduation photos.

MOST POPULAR SPORTS BARS/RESTAURANTS: Might As Well Bar and Grill, Carolina Brewery, Blue Horn Lounge, Four Corners

FAMOUS NON-ATHLETE ALUMNI: 11th U.S. President James K. Polk, 1818; author Thomas Wolfe 1920; actor Andy Griffith ’49; sports writer Peter Gammons ’67

ATHLETIC WEBSITE: Goheels.com

Lawrence Taylor / RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports

FOOTBALL

Coach: Mack Brown (181-107 in 16th season at UNC; 276-144-1 in 34 seasons overall)

Stadium: Kenan Memorial Stadium (50,500)

Cal on the schedule: 2025 at Berkeley, date to be announced

2023 Record: 8-5, 4-4/tied 6th in ACC

Best player on the 2024 team: Junior RB Omarion Hampton (1st-team All-ACC in 2023, 2nd-team AP All-American, rushed for 1,504 yards, 15 TDs)

Most recent bowl appearance: 2023 (Lost to West Virginia 30-10 in Duke’s Mayonnaise Bowl)

Bowl history: 38 appearances (15-23)

Most recent conference championship: 1980

National championships: None

Best all-time player: Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor (1980 consensus All-American, 6-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, 8-time 1st team All-Pro, 1986 NFL MVP, 142 career sacks, Pro Football Hall of Fame)

Also: Julius Peppers, Harris Barton

Best all-time coach: Mack Brown 181-107 in 16th season (1988-97 & 2019-current)

All-time record vs. Cal (most recent meeting): 1-0-1 (1963: Tied 22-22 at Berkeley)

Michael Jordan with coach Dean Smith / Photo courtesy of UNC Athletics

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Coach: Hubert Davis (78-31 in 3 seasons)

Arena: Roy Williams Court at the Dean E. Smith Center (21,750)

2023-24 record: 29-8, 17-3/1st in ACC

Best player next season: Incoming freshman Ian Jackson, a 6-foot-6  shooting guard from the Bronx, NY, is rated as the nation’s No. 6 recruit by Rivals and No. 8 recruit by 247Sports

Most recent NCAA tournament appearance: 2024 (lost to Alabama in regional semifinal)

Most recent conference championship: 2023

National championship history: The Tar Heels have won 6 NCAA titles (1957, ’82, ’93, 2005, ’09 ’17)

Best all-time player: Hall of Famer Michael Jordan (Regarded by many as the game's best-ever: 1982 NCAA champion; 6-time NBA champion, 5-time NBA MVP, 6-time Finals MVP, 10-time NBA scoring leader, 14-time All-Star)

Also: James Worthy, Billy Cunningham, Charlie Scott, Sam Perkins, Bobby Jones, Phil Ford 

Best all-time coach: Dean Smith (879 victories - an NCAA record when he retired, 17 ACC regular-season titles, 13 ACC tournament titles, 11 Final Fours, 2 NCAA titles, nearly 97% graduation rate over 36 seasons)

Also: Roy Williams, Frank McGuire

All-time record vs. Cal (most recent meeting): 4-1 (Cal won 78-71 in 2008)

Former North Carolina coach Sylvia Hatchell / Mark Dolejs-USA TODAY Sports

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL 

Coach: Courtney Banghart  (96-56 in 5 seasons)

Arena: Roy Williams Court at the Dean E. Smith Center (21,750)

2023-24 record: 20-13, 11-7/tied 7th in ACC

Best player next season: Graduate wing Alyssa Ustby (12.5 points and team-best 9.5 rebounds, 2nd-team All-ACC in 2023-24) 

Most recent NCAA tournament appearance: 2024 (lost to South Carolina in second round)

Most recent conference championship: 2007-08

National championship history: Won the 1994 national championship in first of three all-time Final Four appearances

Best all-time player: Charlotte Smith (Scored more than 2,000 points in her career, made the game-winning shot in UNC’s 60-59 win over Louisiana Tech in the 1994 NCAA championship game and was the national player of the year in 1995)

Best all-time coach: Sylvia Hatchell (Won 1,073 games, including 751 at UNC, 3-time national coach of the year, Naismith Hall of Fame member)

All-time record vs. Cal (most recent meeting): 2-2 (Cal won 92-82 in 2018-19)

Mia Hamm / Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sport

MISCELLANEOUS

Varsity sports (26): Men — Baseball, basketball, cross country, fencing, football, golf, lacrosse, soccer, swimming & diving, tennis, track & field, wrestling; Women — Basketball, cross country, fencing, field hockey, golf, gymnastics, lacrosse, rowing, soccer, softball, swimming & diving, tennis, track & field, volleyball

National championships (50): Men’s basketball (6: 1957, 1982, 1993, 2005, 2009, 2017); women’s basketball (1: 1994); women’s soccer (21: 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2012); men’s soccer (2: 2001, 2011); women’s field hockey (11: 1989, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2007, 2009, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023); men’s lacrosse (5: 1981, 1982, 1986, 1991, 2016); women’s lacrosse (3: 2013, 2016, 2022); women’s tennis (1: 2023)

Best all-time non-football/basketball athlete: Soccer player Mia Hamm (4-time NCAA champion; 2-time FIFA World Cup champion; scored 158 goals in 276 international goals)

Most famous Olympian: Soccer player Mia Hamm (2-time Olympic champion in 1996 and 2004; selected as U.S. flag bearer in closing ceremonies at Athens ‘04)