Will UNC play next week? Tar Heels want to fill open date after Charlotte game canceled.
North Carolina will attempt to find a new opponent for next weekend to make up for Saturday’s game against Charlotte that was canceled due to coronavirus contact tracing quarantine among the 49ers’ offensive linemen.
UNC athletic director Bubba Cunningham said in a statement that the school was, “looking for opportunities to add an opponent” on Sept. 26, which is currently an open date on the schedule. The caveat about possibly playing an opponent on such short notice is, the game would have to be played within the state due to previously established ACC policy created during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Tar Heels do have another open date on Nov. 21, but the thought is they want to keep that date open for now in the event a conference game needs to be rescheduled. The ACC has already moved Virginia-Virginia Tech, which was supposed to be played last weekend, due to COVID-19 issues within the Hokies roster.
Carolina was preparing for its first-ever meeting with Charlotte after that game was scheduled on short notice. The two schools initially scheduled a home-and-home series to begin in 2024. But when the ACC revamped its scheduling policy to address COVID-19 concerns, it eliminated the chance for the Heels to open against Auburn in Atlanta and open its home slate against UCF.
The game against the 49ers was arranged just last month. Charlotte announced on Thursday that several members of its offensive line were placed in quarantine following contact-tracing protocols and it would not have enough to play.
This story was originally published September 17, 2020 at 12:26 PM with the headline "Will UNC play next week? Tar Heels want to fill open date after Charlotte game canceled.."