UNC to face 5 top 10 programs on 2015-2016 schedule

The University of North Carolina Tar Heels have announced a brutal 2015-2016 schedule that includes 5 of the top 10 teams at last year’s women’s NCAA Championships.

The Tar Heel women will face #2 Georgia, #5 Virginia, #6 Louisville, #7 Texas and #10 Indiana in the coming year, along with #11 Tennessee.

That’s a tough gauntlet of opponents, but should give UNC plenty of experience racing elite competition in preparation for the ACC and NCAA Championships.

The Tar Heel men don’t have it much easier, with duals lined up against defending NCAA champs Texas plus #7 Georgia and #8 NC State.

The teams open intercollegiate competition against Georgia on October 10th. That meet will be on the road, as will the quad meet with Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee later in the month.

The intercollegiate home opener in Chapel Hill doesn’t come until November 6th, when the Heels host ACC newcomers Louisville in a two-day dual. (That’s not counting an open water race in September, an intrasquad meet a week later and a “Mile Meet” with UNC’s companion club North Carolina Aquatics.)

As usual, it appears UNC will make the home Nike Cup its mid-season rest meet. That takes place from November 19-21, though the team also lists U.S. Winter Nationals (December 3-5) on its schedule. Winter Nationals will take place in long course meters due to the upcoming Olympic Trials, so that’s likely more of a focus meet for Tar Heels hoping to earn Olympic Trial cuts during the college season.

The second semester is highlighted by a home dual against in-state rivals North Carolina State. The UNC-NC State rivalry has become a great one over the past few seasons, with the ACC programs battling for bragging rights within the state of North Carolina. That meet will take place on January 20th.

The men’s and women’s ACC Championships are slated to head to the Greensboro Aquatic Center this coming season, a relative neutral ground for the growing conference. The women’s meet is February 17-20 and the men’s meet February 24-27.

You can view the full schedule here, or we’ve also copied it below.