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IU basketball to play an exhibition against North Carolina in Indianapolis on Sunday, October 18

 

North Carolina coach Mike Malone.

IU basketball will play an exhibition game against North Carolina on Sunday, October 18, it was announced this morning.

The exhibition contest will be at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

It will be the second straight season the Hoosiers have played an exhibition in the state capital. Last October, the Hoosiers played Baylor at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

The Tar Heels dismissed coach Hubert Davis last spring and hired Mike Malone, who won an NBA title with the Denver Nuggets. North Carolina is No. 53 in Bart Torvik’s preseason rankings for the 2026-27 season.

Other known dates for IU’s 2026-27 schedule include Eastern Illinois on November 2 at Assembly Hall, Bellarmine on November 5 at Assembly Hall, Syracuse on November 9 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Kentucky on November 20 at Lucas Oil Stadium and Bowling Green on November 27 at Assembly Hall.

Here’s the full release on the exhibition from IU:

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Indiana men’s basketball program will take on the North Carolina Tar Heels in a preseason exhibition contest on Sunday, Oct. 18, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Tip time and television designation will be announced at a later date.

The two sides have met 16 times on the hardwood, most recently a 77-65 IU victory on Nov. 30, 2022, at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.

North Carolina (6) and Indiana (5) are two of the six programs in Division I men’s basketball to claim at least five national titles. Both programs rank inside the top-10 in championship game appearances, Final Four appearances, NCAA Tournament appearances, and March Madness victories.

Tickets will be available through Gainbridge Fieldhouse beginning on Thursday, June 18.

Complete Sports Management, the group putting on the event, is an all-encompassing sports events and marketing agency whose core capabilities include the creation of sporting events globally, event management, sponsorship, and hospitality packages.

A global brand with a personal touch, Complete Sports Management is responsible for the creation of top-tier sporting events, including the Battle 4 Atlantis Basketball Tournament and the Bahamas Bowl, college football’s longest running international FBS bowl game.

Here’s the series history between Indiana and North Carolina, which the Hoosiers lead 10-6:

12/11/1961 – Indiana 76, North Carolina 70 in Greensboro
12/15/1962 – Indiana 90, North Carolina 76 in Bloomington
12/7/1963 – North Carolina 77, Indiana 70 in Charlotte
12/12/1964 – Indiana 107, North Carolina 81 in Bloomington
12/22/1979 – North Carolina 61, Indiana 57 in Bloomington
12/20/1980 – North Carolina 65, Indiana 56 in Chapel Hill
3/30/1981 – Indiana 63, North Carolina 50 in Philadelphia
3/22/1984 – Indiana 72, North Carolina 68 in Atlanta
11/25/1988 – North Carolina 106, Indiana 92 in New York
12/21/1999 – Indiana 82, North Carolina 73 in East Rutherford
11/28/2001 – Indiana 79, North Carolina 66 in Chapel Hill
12/1/2004 – North Carolina 70, Indiana 63 in Bloomington
11/27/2012 – Indiana 83, North Carolina 59 in Bloomington
3/25/2016 – North Carolina 101, Indiana 86 in Philadelphia
11/30/2016 – Indiana 76, North Carolina 67 in Bloomington
11/30/2022 – Indiana 77, North Carolina 65 in Bloomington

See More: Schedule, North Carolina Tar Heels