UNC football gets a mix of late and early kickoff times for first 3 games of 2022 season
CHAPEL HILL — From late to early, the North Carolina football team will have a mix of starting slots among its first three games of the 2022 season.
The Atlantic Coast Conference on Thursday assigned kickoff times and television networks for the early weeks of the upcoming season, and the Tar Heels will open Aug. 27 against Florida A&M of the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) at 8 p.m. on ACC Network, a so-called Week 0 game that arrives before most teams across college football begin their seasons.
In the ACC, only UNC and Florida State will play games prior to the first weekend in September, or what’s considered Week 1. Florida State meets Duquesne at 5 p.m. on Aug. 27, before Florida A&M visits North Carolina that night.
The Tar Heels have a pair of road games at noon on ESPNU coming next on their schedule, Sept. 3 at Appalachian State and Sept. 10 at Georgia State, both of the Sun Belt Conference.
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Game times and TV information for UNC’s eight ACC games will be announced by the league 12 days prior to each contest, unless networks choose to use six-day options and wait to lock in those details.
North Carolina’s annual regular-season finale against rival North Carolina State is set for Nov. 25 in Chapel Hill next season, the day after Thanksgiving. That game will start at either noon, 1 p.m. or 3:30 p.m. on ABC or ESPN.
The Tar Heels have a Sept. 17 open date before playing host to Notre Dame on Sept. 24, which precedes their conference opener against Virginia Tech. UNC won’t meet an ACC opponent until Oct. 1, marking a departure from last season, when coach Mack Brown and Co. played six of their first seven games against ACC teams on their way to a 6-7 record.
North Carolina will play six true road games — ACC trips to Miami, Duke, Virginia and Wake Forest also are on the 2022 schedule — for the first time since 2018. Pittsburgh, the reigning league champion, Georgia Tech and N.C. State will visit Chapel Hill.
Here’s a look at what’s on tap for the Tar Heels:
UNC 2022 football schedule
Aug. 27 Florida A&M, 8 p.m. (ACC Network)
Sept. 3 at Appalachian State, noon (ESPNU)
Sept. 10 at Georgia State, noon (ESPNU)
Sept. 17 open date
Sept. 24 Notre Dame
Oct. 1 Virginia Tech
Oct. 8 at Miami
Oct. 15 at Duke
Oct. 22 open date
Oct. 29 Pittsburgh
Nov. 5 at Virginia
Nov. 12 at Wake Forest
Nov. 19 Georgia Tech
Nov. 25 N.C. State, noon / 1 p.m. / 3:30 p.m. (ABC or ESPN)
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Adam Smith is a sports reporter for the Burlington Times-News and USA TODAY Network. You can reach him by email at asmith@thetimesnews.com or @adam_smithTN on Twitter.
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This article originally appeared on Times-News: UNC football gets mix of start times for first 3 games of 2022 season
