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Mar 20, 2025; Milwaukee, WI, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis watches team workout during NCAA Tournament First Round Practice at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

UNC, BYU Schedule Exhibition Clash in Salt Lake City

Originally posted on North Carolina Tar Heels on SI
By Grant Chachere | Last updated Jul 23, 2025 7:31 AM ET

The first high-profile game of the collegiate basketball season will be a game that does not affect the win-loss column.

Thanks to a recent NCAA rule change allowing Division I programs to play up to two televised exhibitions, North Carolina will take on BYU at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City’s Delta Center. The game, scheduled for Oct. 24, won’t count toward either team’s record but offers valuable experience, exposure, and—in UNC’s case—a $500,000 payday.

According to SB Nation’s Robby McCombs, UNC is set to receive a guaranteed $500,000 payment 30 days after the contest. As the visiting team, the University of North Carolina will advise Brigham Young University on the payment details.

Preseason action out West ️https://t.co/HTb2xOYlIB
— Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) July 22, 2025

The matchup against BYU will be Carolina’s first appearance in Salt Lake City since 1988, when the Tar Heels bested North Texas and Loyola Marymount in the Huntsman Center in the first two rounds of the 1988 NCAA Tournament.

BYU is a great warmup game for UNC as it finds its identity heading into the season as the Tar Heels replace several key players from last season.

It will be the first major test for UNC’s new-look frontcourt duo of Henri Veesaar and incoming blue-chip recruit Caleb Wilson. Just as intriguing will be how the Tar Heels’ backcourt — led by Seth Trimble, Kyan Evans and Luka Bogavac — fares against one of the nation’s top guard pairings in All-Big 12 selection Richie Saunders and Baylor transfer Rob Wright.

The Cougars are coming off of a 26-10 (14-6 Big 12) record that saw them reach the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2011. They ultimately lost to Alabama in the Sweet 16.

Saunders was one of the top sharpshooters in the country, averaging more than 16 points per game while shooting 43.1% from beyond the arc.

Moreover, BYU had one of the nation’s best offseasons, landing the No. 3 recruiting class in the country, according to 247Sports, with a mix of high school prospects and transfer portal additions.

The highlights of the class are freshman forward AJ Dybantsa and Wright.

Dybantsa is considered by some to be the No. 1 overall recruit in the country out of the class of 2025 and the future No. 1 pick of the 2026 NBA Draft.

A lot of eyeballs will be on Dybantsa and Wilson as they are both former Top 10 recruits from the 2025 recruiting cycle.

Wright was the No. 8 overall prospect out of the transfer portal. He averaged 11.1 points and 4.2 assists per game for Baylor last season.

The last time North Carolina and BYU met was in the championship game of the Las Vegas Invitational on Nov. 24, 2007, a 73–63 win for the Tar Heels.

It will be the first of two preseason contests for the Tar Heels, who host Winston-Salem State in the Dean E. Smith Center on October 29.

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This article first appeared on North Carolina Tar Heels on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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