After another lengthy roadtrip, your North Carolina Tar Heels return to Kenan Stadium for a primetime matchup. At 7:30 p.m. tonight, UNC hosts Syracuse in a battle of ACC football teams headed in opposite directions.
North Carolina (4-2, 2-1 ACC) won each of its past two matchups, with fourth-quarter comebacks and late defense playing the greatest roles. The Tar Heels won back the Victory Bell last weekend, beating archrival Duke 24-20, their second-straight victory after winning at 25th-ranked Pitt on October 10.
Syracuse (2-4, 0-2 ACC) entered 2026 with plentiful promise, returning a healthy Steve Angeli at quarterback and Fran Brown as head coach. The Orange started with a 66-3 obliteration of FCS New Hampshire, then lost four of its next five games, narrowly beating UConn by a 42-41 mark in overtime.
UNC, on the other hand, entered this fall with plenty of question marks. North Carolina quickly answered those questions, showcasing a much-improved defense headlined by sophomores Xavier Lewis and Greg Smith. Billy Edwards looks much more comfortable running the Tar Heels' offense, which has three starter-caliber running backs in Benjamin Hall, Demon June and Jaylen McGill. Jordan Shipp is the WR1 North Carolina needs, while Jelani Thurman and Shamar Easter give UNC a big-play threat at tight end.
The Tar Heels should win tonight easily, but they can't underestimate their opponent with three, one-score losses. North Carolina finally gets the night game it deserves on a cool, October night.
If you're near Chapel Hill today, buy those tickets and travel on over to Kenan. If you're watching these two conference opponents go head-to-head on TV, your favorite streaming device, listening on the radio or somewhere else, keep reading below for more broadcast information.
What channel is North Carolina vs. Syracuse on Sunday? Time, TV schedule, radio
TV Channel: ACC Network
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Radio: SiriusXM (Channels 234 (UNC broadcast) and 258 (Syracuse broadcast))
Website: WatchESPN
Where to watch UNC-Syracuse football on live stream
UNC vs. Syracuse prediction, picks, odds
The Tar Heels are playing in their first night game, which historically brings plenty of fans to Kenan Stadium. Weather in Chapel Hill is supposed to be beautiful, with clear skies on tap.
North Carolina has momentum from its past two victories, both against quality teams. Syracuse lost each of its past two games by a combined 11 points, showcasing a better team than its record says.
Behind another well-rounded performance, one in which UNC leads from the first quarter on, a majority of people will leave Kenan Stadium happy on Saturday night.
Score prediction: UNC 34, Syracuse 17
All College Football Odds via BetMGM
SPREAD: UNC -8.5
MONEYLINE: Syracuse +280, UNC -350
O/U TOTAL: 47.5
UNC Football 2026 schedule
August 29: vs. TCU in Dublin, Ireland (W, 15-10)
September 12: vs. ETSU (W, 35-3)
Sept. 19: at Clemson (L, 28-20)
October 3: vs. Notre Dame (L, 37-26)
Oct. 10: at Pitt (W, 21-17)
Oct. 17: at Duke (W, 24-20)
Oct. 24: vs. Syracuse (7:30 p.m.)
Oct. 31: vs. Miami (FL) (7:30 p.m.)
November 7: at UConn (12 p.m.)
Nov. 14: vs. Louisville
Nov. 21: at Virginia
Nov. 28: vs. NC State
This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: What channel is UNC's October 24 football matchup vs. Syracuse on?
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