Future UNC Opponent Is Already Using Bill Belichick to Promote Next Year's Game

It's never too early to start selling tickets.

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick looks at the scoreboard in the fourth quarter game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium. / Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

After days of anticipation, North Carolina officially announced the hiring of Bill Belichick as football coach at 7:42 p.m. ET on Wednesday night. It took one of UNC's upcoming opponents, 2025 non-conference foe UCF, all of 29 minutes to use Belichick to promote next fall's game in Orlando.

Belichick will make his college coaching debut at home against TCU on Aug. 30, before a trip to Charlotte and a home game against Richmond in Weeks 2 and 3. The Tar Heels wrap up non-conference play with their Sept. 20 trip to face the Knights at FBC Mortgage Stadium.

UCF made its own coaching change this offseason; Scott Frost, who previously led the program from 2016–17, was tapped to replace Gus Malzahn. Both new coaches were featured in a social media post by the Knights promoting a game that is more than 10 months away.

September 20th. In the Bounce House. pic.twitter.com/VhOArmdwC4

— UCF Football (@UCF_Football) December 12, 2024

Belichick has never coached at the college level in any capacity, and will now take over an ACC program coming off of a 6–6 campaign. The legendary former New England Patriots coach has a 302–165 career record in the NFL, but said in a statement that he has "always wanted to coach in college" growing up with his father Steve Belichick, a longtime assistant coach at Navy who also had a stop in Chapel Hill.

Belichick's first season will also feature home ACC games against Clemson, Duke, Stanford and Virginia and conference road trips to Cal, NC State, Syracuse and Wake Forest. Dates for 2025 ACC football games have not yet been announced.

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