Schedule
| Date | Time | Opponent# | Rank# | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 6 | 12:00 PM | Indiana* | #8 | Kenan Memorial Stadium • Chapel Hill, NC | ESPN2 | W 23–6 | 57,800 | |
| September 13 | 6:00 PM | #18 Stanford* | #8 | Kenan Memorial Stadium • Chapel Hill, NC | ESPN2 | W 28–17 | 57,800 | |
| September 20 | 12:00 PM | at Maryland | #7 | Byrd Stadium • College Park, MD | JPS | W 40–14 | 30,084 | |
| September 27 | 12:00 PM | Virginia | #5 | Kenan Memorial Stadium • Chapel Hill, NC (South's Oldest Rivalry) | ABC | W 48–20 | 57,800 | |
| October 4 | 8:05 PM | at TCU* | #5 | Amon G. Carter Stadium • Fort Worth, TX | W 31–10 | 29,415 | ||
| October 11 | 12:00 PM | Wake Forest | #5 | Kenan Memorial Stadium • Chapel Hill, NC | JPS | W 30–12 | 57,000 | |
| October 18 | 6:00 PM | at NC State | #4 | Carter–Finley Stadium • Raleigh, NC (Carolina–State Game) | ESPN2 | W 20–7 | 51,500 | |
| October 30 | 8:00 PM | at Georgia Tech | #5 | Bobby Dodd Stadium • Atlanta, GA | ESPN | W 16–13 | 45,126 | |
| November 8 | 7:30 PM | #2 Florida State | #5 | Kenan Memorial Stadium • Chapel Hill, NC | ESPN | L 3–20 | 62,000 | |
| November 15 | 3:30 PM | at Clemson | #9 | Memorial Stadium • Clemson, SC | ABC | W 17–10 | 71,514 | |
| November 22 | 12:00 PM | Duke | #8 | Kenan Memorial Stadium • Chapel Hill, NC (Victory Bell Game) | JPS | W 50–14 | 53,500 | |
| January 1 | 12:30 PM | vs. Virginia Tech* | #5 | Alltel Stadium • Jacksonville, FL (Gator Bowl) | NBC | W 42–3 | 54,116 | |
Read more about this topic: 1997 North Carolina Tar Heels Football Team