With the exception of cross country, whose first race is in September, all of UNC's fall teams begin competition this month, and we've put together a rundown of opening game dates and preseason storylines to get you ready. Women's SoccerSeason opener: Aug. 12 vs Fairfield, 7:00 PM ETAdvertisementAdvertisement AdvertisementCarolina enters its third season under Damon Nahas looking to rebound from a disappointing 2025 campaign. The preseason #1 Tar Heels finished the regular season unranked and missed the ACC Tournament for just the second time ever. They did manage to make some noise in the NCAA Tournament after receiving an at-large bid, pulling off a pair of upsets to advance to the round of 16. The Tar Heels bring back almost their entire roster, headlined by All-ACC selections Safi Hampton (first team) and Chelsea Thorpe (second team), who combined for more than 700 kills in 2025.