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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.
USA Today
25-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
2025 TCU Horned Frogs win total predictions, futures, over/under and odds
2025 TCU Horned Frogs win total predictions, futures, over/under and odds Bookmakers have set an over/under of 6.5 wins for the TCU Horned Frogs this season, with -120 odds to go over that total. Last year, the Horned Frogs went 9-4 and won the New Mexico Bowl. TCU futures: win total over/under, odds College football odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Friday at 8:25 a.m. ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub. Over/Under: 6.5 6.5 Over Payout: -120 -120 Under Payout: -102 TCU splits - last season Last season TCU finished 9-4 and bested Louisiana 34-3 in the New Mexico Bowl The Horned Frogs collected seven wins as favorites (in 10 games), and they won twice (in three opportunities) as underdogs. TCU was 4-2 in one-possession games, but won just one game decided by three points or fewer (1-2). The Horned Frogs had a couple of wins when favored by seven points or fewer last season (2-2), and won five tilts when favored by seven or more points (5-1). Watch College Football on Fubo!
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
UNC to open 2026 football season across the pond
The 2025 UNC football season can't come soon enough, with the Bill Belichick era officially kicking off Monday, Sept. 1 as TCU comes to Kenan Stadium for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff. The Horned Frogs, who finished 2024 with a 9-4 record and domination of Louisiana in the New Mexico Bowl, are a great, early-season test to see how legitimate Belichick's Tar Heels are. We aren't expecting North Carolina to be a College Football Playoff contender in Year One, but an improvement from Mack Brown's teams. Advertisement UNC will also play TCU in 2026 – but instead of Forth Worth, the Tar Heels and Horned Frogs are heading across the pond. On Tuesday, North Carolina announced it will face TCU in the 2026 Aer Lingus Classic. According to Kevin Kelley, this game will be played on August 29, 2026. The Horned Frogs were initially scheduled to host UNC on September 5. 2026 will mark the second time in three seasons an ACC team plays in Ireland, with 2024's edition featuring Georgia Tech upsetting then-No. 10 Florida State. The 2025 Aer Lingus classic features Iowa State and Kansas State, while the 2027 edition will showcase Pitt and Wisconsin. Advertisement There's still plenty of uncertainty with the Tar Heels' 2025 roster, but they at least have their starting quarterback in South Alabama transfer Gio Lopez. North Carolina will also carry initial 2024 starter Max Johnson and incoming, 4-star freshman Bryce Baker in its QB room. There's just over four months until UNC plays football – are you ready? Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions. This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC, TCU to open 2026 college football season in Ireland
USA Today
23-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UNC to open 2026 football season across the pond
UNC to open 2026 football season across the pond The UNC football program is heading international to start its 2026 campaign. The 2025 UNC football season can't come soon enough, with the Bill Belichick era officially kicking off Monday, Sept. 1 as TCU comes to Kenan Stadium for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff. The Horned Frogs, who finished 2024 with a 9-4 record and domination of Louisiana in the New Mexico Bowl, are a great, early-season test to see how legitimate Belichick's Tar Heels are. We aren't expecting North Carolina to be a College Football Playoff contender in Year One, but an improvement from Mack Brown's teams. UNC will also play TCU in 2026 – but instead of Forth Worth, the Tar Heels and Horned Frogs are heading across the pond. On Tuesday, North Carolina announced it will face TCU in the 2026 Aer Lingus Classic. According to Kevin Kelley, this game will be played on August 29, 2026. The Horned Frogs were initially scheduled to host UNC on September 5. 2026 will mark the second time in three seasons an ACC team plays in Ireland, with 2024's edition featuring Georgia Tech upsetting then-No. 10 Florida State. The 2025 Aer Lingus classic features Iowa State and Kansas State, while the 2027 edition will showcase Pitt and Wisconsin. There's still plenty of uncertainty with the Tar Heels' 2025 roster, but they at least have their starting quarterback in South Alabama transfer Gio Lopez. North Carolina will also carry initial 2024 starter Max Johnson and incoming, 4-star freshman Bryce Baker in its QB room. There's just over four months until UNC plays football – are you ready? Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.
Irish Independent
22-04-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
NFL coaching legend Bill Belichick brings North Carolina Tar Heels to Dublin for college classic
Next year's Aviva Stadium renewal will see Belichick, who won six Super Bowls as the head coach of the New England Patriots and another two as defensive coordinator with the New York Giants, face Texas Christian University in college football's season-opener. Belichick left his position as Patriots head coach following a disappointing 2023 NFL season, and after a period where he was limited to media work, the 73-year-old was appointed head coach of the UNC Tar Heels in December in what many saw as an unexpected move into the college game. Should he remain head coach of UNC after the 2025 season (barring, for example, a shock return to NFL sidelines) he will begin his second year of college football in Dublin. 'We're grateful to be selected to participate in the 2026 Aer Lingus College Football Classic. It's a tremendous opportunity for our program and we're excited to represent the university and our community on an international stage,' said Belichick. Along with star players like Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski and Tedy Bruschi, Belichick spearheaded two decades of dominance in New England across the 2000s and 2010s, appearing in nine Super Bowls, winning six. His defensive game-plan was also key in earning the Giants their championships in 1986/87 and 90/91, earning Belichick the right for his name to be prefaced with the 'eight-time Super Bowl winner' tag, a feat as yet unmatched. Belichick's infamous, grumpy media style grated with many journalists who covered him during his time in the NFL, and while a more fun side has appeared on TV in recent months, by the time he has another season of pressure under his belt, he could be his chippy old self in Dublin, which in itself is box office. While Belichick will grab the headlines, it is TCU - themselves a powerhouse of football in Texas, where the sport is religion - who are the designated home team, and will bring some home comforts in the form of cheer squads, marching bands and the college football colour Dublin welcomes every August. Both programmes bring a level of prestige. They both play their football in the 'power four' conferences - groupings of the best college athletic programmes in America. UNC recently produced quarterback Drake Maye, who impressed in his first year in the NFL at the Patriots, while TCU was once the home of pro-bowl quarterback Andy Dalton, and last year finished with a respectable 9-4 record in the Big 12 conference and won the New Mexico Bowl. 'We will take great pride in representing TCU internationally,' said TCU Head Football Coach Sonny Dykes. 'With a good number of our players not having traveled overseas, I am most happy for them to have this opportunity and very much appreciate the Aer Lingus College Football Classic making it possible for them as well as all of TCU to share in this experience. It will be special to take the field in Dublin and for our fans to see us on this type of stage in Ireland.' The last two Dublin classics were sell-out events, with a record-breaking homecoming for Notre Dame Fighting Irish fans followed by a southern battle between Florida State and Georgia Tech that resulted in a shock victory for the latter last August. This year's match-up pits the Kansas State Wildcats against the Iowa State Cyclones, the two Big 12 teams facing off in a storied rivalry dubbed 'Farmageddon'. Last year's clash saw over 27,000 international visitors come to Dublin for gameweek, mostly from the United States, which the game's organisers say generates over €115m. 'We are thrilled to welcome TCU and the University of North Carolina to Dublin for the 2026 Aer Lingus College Football Classic,' said Padraic O'Kane, co-founder and director of the Aer Lingus College Football Classic. 'This marquee matchup marks the fifth game in our initial five-year series, which we're proud to announce has now been extended by two more years through to 2028. Universities from Pittsburgh and Wisconsin are set to clash in 2027 and strong discussions are currently in play for a competitive 2028 game too. 'Even more exciting, we're working closely with the government and key stakeholders to extend the series by another decade - firmly establishing Dublin as the European home of college football and a premier destination for world-class international sporting events.'
