Here’s how much UNC, NC State will receive for their men’s basketball games in Greensboro

CHAPEL HILL — The University of North Carolina and NC State each will be paid $1 million per game for their two-game nonconference men’s basketball series at First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro, according to the contract obtained by WRAL.

2026-09-23

UNC and NC State, scheduled to play just once during the regular season in ACC play, will play Dec. 15 in the inaugural Tobacco Road Classic presented by Old Dominion Freight Line. The rivals will also play during the 2027-28 season.

The contract was signed earlier this month by UNC athletics director Steve Newmark, NC State athletics director Boo Corrigan and Scott Johnson, the general manager of Oak View Group, which operates the First Horizon Coliseum. It will be the first time the Tar Heels and Wolfpack play each other in a regular-season game in Greensboro since 1979.

The total budget per game is expected to be $2.2 million with the vast majority of that the game guarantees to both teams.

Each school is responsible for the costs associated with traveling to the game. The ACC will assign game officials, and the Coliseum will pay for them. NC State will be the home team in 2026, while UNC will be the home team for the game in 2027.

Each school will be provided 10,000 tickets to sell. Each ticket will be charged a $4 facility fee.

The Coliseum will retain the right to sell all sponsorship-related assets and promotional partnerships and will retain all the revenues. The Coliseum will retain all revenues generated from concession sales and parking.

The schools and the Coliseum will work on a gameday t-shirt and hat for the event.

"The fans have spoken, the administrators have spoken, the legislators have spoken that this game matters," first-year UNC coach Michael Malone said during an event in Greensboro to announce the game. "This game means something to everybody in this room, and I'm really just excited to be a part of that."

NC State first-year coach and alum Justin Gainey grew up in High Point and played high school basketball in Greensboro. 

“I’m glad that Coach [Malone], although he’s never been a part of it, that he saw the value in it, and he saw how much it meant to a lot of people,” Gainey said. “For me, it was a no-brainer. As soon as I got the call, I said, ‘Absolutely, I want to do it.’ And then they said it’d be in Greensboro, I was even more excited.” 

State lawmakers approved $30 million for capital improvements for the Coliseum in its recently passed and enacted budget. The game could also qualify for money from the state’s Major Events, Games, and Attractions Fund, which is funded by tax revenues from legal online sports betting in the state.

“The NCGA is committed to keeping North Carolina rivalries at the center of our traditions,” Rep. Kyle Hall told WRAL in a statement. “We not only see this as sustaining our great quality of life in North Carolina, but potentially a major economic impact as the Tobacco Road Classic expands in future years. I believe it is our duty to help our universities and fans enjoy the best quality of basketball in the country starting right here on Tobacco Road.