Feb. 4, 2010
Chapel Hill, N.C. ------ Six home games and a season-opening contest in Atlanta vs. LSU in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff highlight North Carolina's 2010 football schedule, released Thursday by the Atlantic Coast Conference.
"This is a challenging schedule that presents a tremendous opportunity for our football team," said head coach Butch Davis. "Having six home games and the Kickoff Game in Atlanta vs. LSU, will create a great amount of excitement for our fans, players and coaches."
Season tickets go on sale Saturday, Feb. 6 at 10 a.m. on TarHeelBlue.com. Tickets for the LSU game are not part of the season ticket package and are already on sale at TarHeelBlue.com.
Carolina's home slate features games against Georgia Tech (Sept. 18), East Carolina (Oct. 2), Clemson (Oct. 9), William & Mary (Oct. 30), Virginia Tech (Nov. 13) and NC State (Nov. 20). This will be the first game between Carolina and Clemson in Chapel Hill since 2002.
The Tar Heels' road schedule feature contests at Rutgers (Sept. 25), Virginia (Oct. 16), Miami (Oct. 23), Florida State (Nov. 6) and Duke (Nov. 27).
Carolina plays an ACC-high eight teams that finished 2009 with nine or more wins and eight of the Tar Heels' 12 opponents played in a bowl game last season. Based on opponents' combined winning percentage, Carolina (97-60; .618) will face the league's most difficult schedule in 2010, ahead of Virginia Tech (95-59; .617), Miami (92-61; .601), N.C. State (91-64; .587), Georgia Tech (87-64; .576), Florida State (86-66; .566), Virginia (82-73; .529), Maryland (79-72; .523), Wake Forest (77-76; .503), Clemson (72-79; .477) and Boston College (68-80; .460).
North Carolina returns 19 starters from last season's eight-win team that advanced to its second straight bowl game. Among those returning are defensive standouts Marvin Austin and Robert Quinn on the defensive line, Bruce Carter and Quan Sturdivant at linebacker and Kendric Burney and Deunta Williams in the defensive backfield.
The Tar Heels open spring practice on March 15 and will play a Blue-White spring game on Saturday, April 10, at 3 p.m. Admission is free. For the first time in school history, the Blue-White game will be televised nationally by ESPN.
2010 North Carolina Football Schedule
|
Day
|
Date
|
Opponent
|
Location
|
|
Sat.
|
Sept. 4
|
LSU
|
Atlanta, Ga.
|
|
Sat.
|
Sept. 11
|
OPEN
|
|
|
Sat.
|
Sept. 18
|
Georgia Tech
|
Chapel Hill
|
|
Sat.
|
Sept. 25
|
at Rutgers
|
Piscataway, N.J.
|
|
Sat.
|
Oct. 2
|
East Carolina
|
Chapel Hill
|
|
Sat.
|
Oct. 9
|
Clemson
|
Chapel Hill
|
|
Sat.
|
Oct. 16
|
at Virginia
|
Charlottesville, Va.
|
Sat.
|
Oct. 23
|
at Miami
|
Miami Gardens, Fla.
|
|
Sat.
|
Oct. 30
|
William & Mary
|
Chapel Hill
|
|
Sat.
|
Nov. 6
|
at Florida State
|
Tallahassee, Fla.
|
|
Sat.
|
Nov. 13
|
Virginia Tech
|
Chapel Hill
|
|
Sat.
|
Nov. 20
|
NC State
|
Chapel Hill
|
|
Sat.
|
Nov. 27
|
at Duke
|
Durham, N.C.
|
