No. 12 North Carolina begins its season against No. 21 Oklahoma in Paris on Monday, and it is exactly the kind of early test Courtney Banghart’s team has been handed before. The Tar Heels have a strong record in international games under Banghart, but this opener stands out because it is also North Carolina’s earliest-ever matchup against a ranked opponent.
The setting makes the game unusual enough on its own. North Carolina last started a season away from Carmichael Arena in 2018, when it opened at Elon, and this trip to Paris adds another layer to a schedule that already asks plenty of the Tar Heels early. They face back-to-back Power 4 teams to start the season, with four games against power conference teams included in the November schedule.
Why this opener matters
North Carolina and Oklahoma have already shown they can produce a tight game. The Tar Heels beat the Sooners 61-52 on December 19, 2023, at the Jumpman Invitational in Charlotte, and that result is part of a series that has been competitive for years. Oklahoma’s longest winning streak in the matchup was two straight wins from January 21, 2001, to November 30, 2002, while North Carolina’s longest run in the series has been two straight wins since November 23, 2008.
That same 2008 game remains notable because North Carolina scored 80 points in Norman, its highest total in the series. The Tar Heels have also handled other early ranked tests before, facing No. 12 Arizona State on November 11, 2007, and No. 23 UCLA on November 11, 2013, but this is the earliest ranked-opponent opener in program history.
What North Carolina brings into Paris
Banghart enters her sixth year with a roster built on continuity and change. North Carolina returns seven players, adds four transfers and three freshmen, and comes into the season with a proven scoring profile. The Tar Heels averaged 85.9 points per game last season, a figure that ranked third among Division I teams.
That offensive level is why the opener feels more than ceremonial. Oklahoma is No. 21, North Carolina is No. 12, and both teams arrive with enough quality to make this one of the more eye-catching season openers on the schedule. For North Carolina, it is a chance to show it can handle elite opposition immediately, in an unfamiliar setting, before the season’s pressure really begins.
The trip to Paris is not just a novelty. It is an early measuring point for a team that has the talent, the depth and the recent history to justify high expectations.
