The North Carolina Tar Heels are the athletic teams for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The name Tar Heel is a nickname used to refer to individuals from the state of North Carolina, the Tar Heel State . Being the flagship institution of the University of North Carolina system, the campus at Chapel Hill is referred to as the University of North Carolina for the purposes of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. The Tar Heels are commonly referred to as Carolina , North Carolina , or simply The Heels . The mascot of the Tar Heels is Rameses, a Bighorn Ram. It is represented as either a live Dorset sheep with its horns painted Carolina Blue, or as a costumed character performed by a volunteer from the student body, usually an undergraduate student associated with the cheer leading team. North Carolina has won 35 team national championships in six different sports, ninth all-time, and 51 individual national championships.

NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS TICKETS EVENT DATE AVAILABILITY Louisville Cardinals vs. North Carolina Tar Heels Tickets 3/14 Mar 14, 2025 Fri, 6:00 PM Louisville Cardinals vs. North Carolina Tar Heels Tickets 3/15 Mar 15, 2025 Sat, 2:00 PM Louisville Cardinals vs. North Carolina Tar Heels Tickets 3/16 Mar 16, 2025 Sun, 1:00 PM North Carolina Tar Heels Baseball vs. South Carolina Gamecocks Baseball Tickets 3/25 Mar 25, 2025 Tue, 7:00 PM Florida State Seminoles vs. North Carolina Tar Heels Tickets 5/15 May 15, 2025 Thu, 6:00 PM

Baseball

right

• Head Coach: Mike Fox
• Stadium: Bryson Field at Boshamer Stadium
• ACC Championships: 5 (1982, 1983, 1984, 1990, 2007)
• College World Series Appearances: 8 (1960, 1966, 1978, 1989, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009)

The baseball team has had recent success, reaching the championship series of the College World Series in 2006 and 2007 losing both times to Oregon State. They also appeared in the College World Series in 1960, 1966, 1978, 1989, 2008, and 2009.

Field Hockey

• Head Coach: Karen Shelton
• Stadium: Henry Stadium
• ACC Championships: 16 (1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2004, 2007)
• National Championships: 5 (1989, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2007)

Football

• Head Coach: Butch Davis
• Stadium: Kenan Memorial Stadium
• Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association Championships: 1 (1895)
• Southern Conference Championships: 5 (1922, 1934, 1946, 1949)
• ACC Championships: 5 (1963, 1971, 1972, 1977, 1980)
• Postseason Bowl Appearances: 26 (1947 Sugar, 1949 Sugar, 1950 Cotton, 1963 Gator, 1970 Peach, 1971 Gator, 1972 Sun, 1974 Sun, 1976 Peach, 1977 Liberty, 1979 Gator, 1980 Bluebonnet, 1981 Gator, 1982 Sun, 1983 Peach, 1986 Aloha, 1993 Peach, 1993 Gator, 1994 Sun, 1995 Carquest, 1997 Gator, 1998 Gator, 1998 Las Vegas, 2001 Peach, 2004 Continental Tire, 2008 Meineke Car Care Bowl)
• Best Final Ranking: #3 (1948 Associated Press)

Men's Basketball

• Head Coach: Roy Williams
• Arena: Dean E. Smith Center
• Southern Conference Championships: 13 (Tournament: 1922, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1935, 1936, 1940, 1945; Regular Season: 1935, 1938, 1941, 1944, 1946)
• ACC Championships: 43 (Tournament: 1957, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1972, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1989, 1991, 1994, 1997, 1998, 2007, 2008; Regular Season: 1956, 1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1993, 1995, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009 )
• Helms Foundation Championships: 1 (1924 (Undefeated))
• NCAA National Championships: 5 (1957 (undefeated), 1982, 1993, 2005, 2009)
• Final Four Appearances: 18 (1946, 1957, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1972, 1977, 1981, 1982, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2005, 2008, 2009)
• Best Final Ranking: #1 (Associated Press: 1957, 1982, 1984, 1994, 1998, 2008, 2009; Coaches: 1957, 1982, 1984, 1993, 2005, 2009)
• ACC/National Players of the Year: 8 (Jack Cobb 1923-26, George Glamack 1938-41, Lennie Rosenbluth 1954-57, Phil Ford 1974-78, James Worthy 1979-82, Michael Jordan 1981-1984, Antawn Jamison 1995-98, Tyler Hansbrough 2005-09)

North Carolina has enjoyed long success as one of the top basketball programs in the country. Overall, the Tar Heels have won five NCAA National Championships and one Helms Foundation national championship title. Under coach Frank McGuire, the team won its first NCAA championship in 1957. After McGuire left, legendary coach Dean Smith established the team as a powerhouse in college basketball. While coaching for North Carolina for thirty-nine years, Smith set the record for the most wins of any men's college basketball head coach, a record broken in 2007 by Bob Knight. Under Smith, the Tar Heels won two national championships and had numerous talented players come through the program. Smith is also credited with coming up with the four corners offense. More recently, the Tar Heels won the national championship in 2005 and 2009 under coach Roy Williams.

Men's Lacrosse

thumb in the 2009 ACC tournament final.

• Head coach: Joe Breschi
• Home fields: Fetzer Field and Kenan Memorial Stadium
• ACC tournament championships: 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994
• ACC regular season championships: 1981, 1982, 1985, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1996
• NCAA tournament appearances: 1976, 1977, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009
• NCAA tournament championships: 1981, 1982, 1986, 1991

Women's Soccer

• Head Coach: Anson Dorrance
• Stadium: Fetzer Field
• ACC Championships: 38 (1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 Tournament, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 Regular Season)
• National Championships: 20 (1981 AIAW, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2008 NCAA)
• College Cup Appearances: 24 (1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2008)

Other Sports

Other national championship victories include the women's basketball team in 1994; the women's handball team in 2004; and the men's handball team in 2004, 2005, and 2006. The men's crew won the 2004 ECAC National Invitational Collegiate Regatta in the varsity eight category. In 1994, North Carolina's athletic programs won the Sears Directors Cup which is awarded for cumulative performance in NCAA competition.

National championships

North Carolina has won 37 national championships, 35 of which are from the NCAA. ^[1] The 35 NCAA Championships ranks ninth all time, behind only UCLA, Stanford, Southern California, Oklahoma State, Arkansas, LSU, Texas, and Penn State.

• Men's
• * Basketball - 1924*, 1957, 1982, 1993, 2005, 2009
• * Lacrosse - 1981, 1982, 1986, 1991
• * Soccer - 2001
• Women's
• *Basketball - 1994
• *Field Hockey - 1985, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2007
• *Soccer - 1981**, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2008

(*) Pre-NCAA tournament championship (**) There was only one AIAW soccer tournament, thus making North Carolina the only women's soccer team to win an AIAW championship

Rivalries

North Carolina's most heated rivalries are with its Tobacco Road counterparts Duke, North Carolina State, and Wake Forest. In recent years, the North Carolina-Duke basketball series has attracted the most attention. The Tar Heels also have a rivalry with Virginia in college football, known as the South's Oldest Rivalry. UNC and UVA are the two oldest schools in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Notable alumni

Notable graduates from the athletic programs include Michael Jordan, Mia Hamm, Vince Carter, Antawn Jamison, Charlie Justice, Phil Ford, Kristine Lilly, Davis Love III, Andrew Miller, Cindy Parlow, Eddie Pope, Jeff Reed, B.J. Surhoff, Lawrence Taylor, Roy Williams, Rasheed Wallace, James Worthy, and Julius Peppers.

thumb thumb thumb thumb UNC Tar Heel players who went pro in the NBA or ABA

• Dudley Bradley 1979-1988
• Pete Brennan 1958-1958
• Larry Brown 1967-1971 HOF
• Steve Bucknall 1989-1989
• Bill Bunting 1969-1971
• Vince Carter 1998-
• Bill Chamberlain 1972-1973
• Pete Chilcutt 1991-1999
• Jeffrey Crompton 1978-1983
• Billy Cunningham 1965-1975 HOF
• Brad Daugherty 1986-1993
• Hubert Davis 1992-2003
• Walter Davis 1977-1991
• John Dillon 1949-1949
• Wayne Ellington 2009-
• Darrell Elston 1974-1976
• Scott English 1972-1974
• Raymond Felton 2005-
• Phil Ford 1978-1984
• Joseph Forte 2001-2002
• Rick Fox 1991-2003
• George Glamack 1948-1948
• Danny Green 2009-
• Dick Grubar 1969-1969
• Tyler Hansbrough 2009-
• Brendan Haywood 2001-
• Antwan Jamison 1998-
• Bobby Jones 1974-1985
• Michael Jordan 1984-2002 HOF
• George Karl 1973-1977
• Tommy Kearns 1958-1958
• John Kuester 1977-1979
• Mitch Kupchak 1976-1985
• Tom Lagarde 1977-1984
• York Larese 1961-1961
• Ty Lawson 2009-
• Jeff Lebo 1989-1989
• Bobby Lewis 1967-1970
• George Lynch 1993-
• Sean May 2005-2009
• Bob McAdoo 1972-1985 HOF
• Rashad McCants 2005-
• Jeff McInnis 1996-2008
• Horace McKinney 1946-1951
• Bill Miller 1948-1948
• Harry Miller 1946-1946
• Larry Miller 1968-1974
• Doug Moe 1967-1971
• Eric Montross 1994-2001
• Fred Nagy 1948-1948
• Makhtar Ndiaye 1998-1998
• David Noel 2006-2008
• Mike O'Koren 1980-1987
• Sam Perkins 1984-2000
• Derrick Phelps 1994-1994
• Dave Popson 1988-1991
• Steve Previs 1972-1972
• J.R. Reid 1989-2000
• Lennie Rosenbluth 1957-1958
• Clifford Rozier 1994-1997
• Kevin Salvadori 1996-1997
• Charlie Scott 1970-1979
• Lee Shaffer 1961-1963
• Kenny Smith 1987-1996
• Jerry Stackhouse 1995-
• Rasheed Wallace 1995-
• Don Washington 1974-1975
• Matt Wenstrom 1993-1993
• Marvin Williams 2005-
• Scott Williams 1990-
• Shammond Williams 1998-2006
• Joe Wolf 1987-1998
• Al Wood 1981-1986
• James Worthy 1982-1993 HOF
• Brandan Wright 2007-
• Dennis Wuycik 1972-1974
• Rich Yonakor 1981-1981

References

1. How many NCAA Division I championships has your school won?