Latest news with #BelichickEffect
Yahoo
23-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Belichick hype lifts UNC Football to sellout before week one
Bill Belichick hasn't coached a single game at North Carolina yet, but the Belichick effect is already making waves. According to ESPN's Pete Thamel, the Tar Heels have officially sold out every ticket for the entire 2025 season. Season tickets were gone in the spring despite a 25% price hike. Now, every individual game ticket has also been snatched up. That means Kenan Memorial Stadium will be packed for each home game before Belichick's debut season even kicks off. The former New England Patriots head coach shocked the football world earlier this year when, just months after his NFL retirement, he agreed to lead the UNC program. MORE: Paul Finebaum calls Lincoln Riley a fraud After more than 20 years and six Super Bowl rings in Foxborough, few expected his next move would be to the ACC. But here he is, wearing Carolina blue and generating a buzz that UNC football hasn't felt in decades. Historically, North Carolina has been a basketball-first school. Even during Mack Brown's better years, sellouts were rare and football often played second fiddle to hoops. That's changed overnight. Belichick, already destined for the Hall of Fame and tied to legends like Tom Brady, Bill Parcells, and Nick Saban, has put UNC football squarely on the national radar. Recruiting has already seen a noticeable uptick. North Carolina's class ranked 29th for 2025, then improved to 19th for 2026. National TV slots are filling up with UNC matchups. Now, the ticket office has nothing left to offer. Whether Belichick's defensive brilliance translates to the college game remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: the Tar Heels are no longer flying under the radar. This is no longer just a basketball school. More College Football News: Jeremiah Smith picks Cris Carter as Ohio State's top all-time receiver Paul Finebaum calls Lincoln Riley a fraud Dave Portnoy defends Curt Cignetti after SEC scheduling jab
USA Today
07-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UNC football ranked in bottom half of FBS teams according to USA TODAY Sports re-rank
UNC football ranked in bottom half of FBS teams according to USA TODAY Sports re-rank Can the UNC football program surpass its preseason rankings? There arguably isn't a college football program with more offseason hype than the North Carolina Tar Heels, who made the greatest offseason splash by hiring Bill Belichick, an 8-time Super Bowl Champion, to be their next head football coach. UNC had a disappointing 2024 campaign under Mack Brown headlined by a blowout loss to James Madison, coupled with another late-season collapse, which sealed his fate. With Belichick in charge, the hope is North Carolina becomes a consistent winner. The Tar Heels are already starting to see the Belichick Effect take place, with several high-profile players in the transfer portal announcing their commitments. UNC's greatest offseason add is South Alabama quarterback Gio Lopez, while the trenches are completely revamped. Despite all the talent North Carolina brought into Chapel Hill, the boys in baby blue still have to prove themselves on the football field. In USA TODAY Sports' re-rank of all 136 FBS teams (welcome, Delaware and Missouri State) after spring practice, the Tar Heels landed 80th. UNC finds itself sandwiched between UConn (79th), who won the 2024 Fenway Bowl between both programs and Kentucky, which missed a bowl game for the first time since 2015. North Carolina will be on full display in its 2025 kickoff game, hosting TCU under the Kenan Stadium lights on Monday, September 1 (Labor Day) at 7:30 p.m. ET. The Horned Frogs finished their 2024 campaign 9-4, dominating Louisiana, 34-3, in the New Mexico Bowl. Preseason rankings mean nothing, so don't be concerned the Tar Heels are amongst the FBS' bottom half. What matters is that UNC turns into a consistent winner – with Belichick leading the way, that's a very strong possibility. Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.
