UNC Basketball Lands No. 6 Seed in NCAA Tournament

The Tar Heels will face off against No. 11 VCU in the opening round.

Mar. 15, 2026 at 10:34pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team has been named a No. 6 seed in the South Region of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. They will take on No. 11 seed VCU in the opening round, with the game taking place in Greenville. UNC is looking to improve on their disappointing 2025 tournament appearance when they went to the First Four as a No. 11 seed.

Why it matters

UNC is one of the most storied college basketball programs in the country, so their seeding and tournament matchup is always closely watched. The Tar Heels are hoping to make a deep run this year after an early exit in 2025.

The details

North Carolina finished the regular season with a 24-8 overall record and a 12-6 conference mark. They enter the tournament on a two-game losing streak. The winner of the UNC-VCU game will face the winner of Florida (the No. 1 seed) and the winner of the play-in game between the 8 and 9 seeds.

  • The NCAA Tournament bracket was revealed on Selection Sunday, March 16, 2026.
  • The UNC vs. VCU game will take place in Greenville on March 21, 2026.

The players

North Carolina Tar Heels

The men's basketball team of the University of North Carolina, a storied college basketball program that has won 6 national championships.

VCU Rams

The men's basketball team of Virginia Commonwealth University, making their 11th NCAA Tournament appearance.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What’s next

The winner of the UNC vs. VCU game will advance to face the winner of Florida vs. the 8/9 seed winner in the second round on March 23, 2026.

The takeaway

UNC's No. 6 seed represents a chance for redemption after their early exit in the 2025 tournament. The Tar Heels will need to get past a tough VCU team in the opening round to keep their NCAA Tournament hopes alive.