North Carolina hosts East Tennessee State for home opener on Saturday

The North Carolina Tar Heels return to Kenan Memorial Stadium on September 12 to face East Tennessee State in their 2026 home opener. Coming off a season-opening victory over TCU in Dublin, North Carolina enters the matchup as 34.5-point favorites. The game marks the first meeting between the two programs. Coaching staff considerations include quarterback rotation, with Billy Edwards Jr. expected to start following his performance against TCU, alongside potential playing time for Miles O'Neill. North Carolina looks to improve to 2-0 before heading into a challenging stretch of the schedule that includes upcoming games against Clemson and Notre Dame. Weather forecasts for the 12 p.m. ET kickoff indicate a possibility of thunderstorms in Chapel Hill.

• 12:00 AMYahoo Sports — UNC football vs. ETSU game preview, info, prediction and more