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  • The Editorial Board’s big predictions for North Carolina in 2026

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    We usually have opinions. Today, we have predictions.

    What’s ahead for 2026 in North Carolina? The Editorial Board has some thoughts. We’re sure you do, too. Send them our way, and buckle up for a consequential year.

    Post-Helene politics change NC landscape

    A botched federal response to Hurricane Helene will translate into political backlash in the 2026 elections.

    Western North Carolina counties have long been Republican strongholds, but now many in the region are frustrated with the Trump administration’s neglect of hurricane relief. The inflationary effect of Trump’s tariffs, rising Affordable Care Act premiums and looming cuts in Medicaid and food assistance under Trumps’ “big beautiful bill” may add to the sour mood.

    While Republican state lawmakers may be safe within gerrymandered districts, there could be GOP problems elsewhere. In the 11th Congressional District, Republican incumbent Chuck Edwards will face a strong challenger in Democrat Jamie Ager, a farmer and western North Carolina native.

    But: NC’s ‘blue wave’ might look more purple

    Nationally, 2026 has the potential to be a “blue wave” election, and Democrats are hoping they can harness anti-Trump backlash to gain back some of the ground they’ve lost in recent cycles. In North Carolina, Democrats have their sights set high. They’re aiming to win their first U.S. Senate election in 18 years, defend and flip some gerrymandered congressional seats as well as reelect one of the last Democrats standing on the N.C. Supreme Court bench. They’ve also contested every single state legislative seat in hopes of keeping Republicans well short of a supermajority next year.

    But in recent election cycles, North Carolina hasn’t done the best job at mirroring national trends. In the 2022 midterms, Democrats performed worse in North Carolina than they did across the country, and in 2024, North Carolina didn’t shift quite as far to the right as other states did. The state’s voting patterns are pretty calcified and not as likely to change with the political tides.

    Does that mean that Democrats are doomed? No, but it does mean that the outcome will be about as unpredictable as it always is, and any expectations for a dramatic political shift should be somewhat tempered. There’s a good chance that North Carolina’s blue wave will look more purple.

    A lopsided (so far) US Senate race

    Roy Cooper has had a fortunate run. A flawed Republican candidate allowed him a comfortable reelection as North Carolina governor in 2020 despite his state voting again for Donald Trump as president. Now, as the certain Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, he’s avoiding incumbent Thom Tills, who decided against reelection.

    Instead, Cooper is likely to face Michael Whatley, the former North Carolina GOP chair who has inspired few people beyond Donald Trump, who gave Whatley his endorsement. Cooper, a popular governor, is a skilled, disciplined politician who is unlikely to make the kind of blunder that gives Whatley’s candidacy life. The national economic and political climate isn’t likely to bring the turnout Whatley needs. Whatley’s campaign feels fatally flat, which might be why GOP firebrand Michele Morrow announced she’s entered the Republican primary.

    A lot can change, including the economy. Save that, Cooper will be North Carolina’s next U.S. senator.

    NC Republican infighting continues

    Tensions among Republicans in the General Assembly have made it difficult for the House and Senate to agree on a state budget — North Carolina is the only state in the country that will enter the new year without a comprehensive spending plan.

    It’s not just the budget, either. The past couple of years have been some of the least productive since Republicans took control of the General Assembly in 2011, at least in terms of the number of laws passed. There’s been more finger-pointing, more subtle jabs and more gridlock. Even with a near supermajority, Republicans have struggled to get some things done.

    That may not resolve itself anytime soon. Even if Republicans do finally agree on a budget, the rifts and ideological differences that caused the delay will remain. There’s also some growing discontent with Republicans in Raleigh, which has led to an unusually high number of GOP incumbents facing primary challenges. In some cases, those primary challengers are backed by the incumbent’s own colleagues. Depending on how many of those challenges are successful, it could change the dynamics in Raleigh. That may force lawmakers to break the gridlock, but it also may deepen the divide.

    Heatwaves ahead

    Summer keeps getting hotter in North Carolina and summer 2026 will be another scorcher broken by more rain.

    The National Climate Center forecast for June through August calls for temperatures and precipitation across the Southeast to be above normal.

    North Carolina’s 2025 summer was among the five hottest on record. In Raleigh, it was the hottest, largely because night temperatures stayed well above normal. In Charlotte, it was the second-hottest summer.

    Climate change skeptics are still out there, but after a rare hurricane in the mountains and Outer Banks houses falling into the sea, the effects of warmer air and oceans are becoming clear.

    Next NC sports turnaround

    Which team will follow the Carolina Panthers and go from bad to something less than bad? It could be the University of North Carolina football team, which had a chaotic first year under head coach Bill Belichick. College turnarounds are easier in the NIL era, but for that to happen at UNC, it would take Belichick acknowledging that coaching brilliance doesn’t get you as far as you think. It’s been a long while since he showed that kind of humility, as New England Patriots fans would be happy to tell you.

    We think the next NC sports turnaround will come in Charlotte, where the NBA’s Hornets are doing a lot of the right things. They’ve made quietly strong trades and have promising draft capital. They have an exceptional rookie and fledgling leader in Duke’s Kon Knueppel. The framework is there for success, perhaps sooner than later if the team changes its culture and starts treating more games as big games instead of opportunities for extra rest and healing. It’s time.

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  • If ‘Beat Duke’ were really Bill Belichick’s first words, time to make them count

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    It’s the game Little Billy was born to coach, if you believe bigger Bill. Bill Belichick’s claim that “Billy’s first words were ‘Beat Duke’” at his introductory press conference was more engagement with what the job he took actually entails than he’s shown since.

    If you believe it, that is. Very little about the Belichick hagiography has proven accurate in his time at North Carolina, although Saturday’s Duke game — and next week’s Lamish Duck Bowl against N.C. State — does give him one last chance to get out an old hoodie and polish what’s left of this dismal debut season at least a little bit.

    The one moment Belichick dug into the truly collegiate part of the job, the local rivalry stuff that runs as hot here as it does anywhere, even in years like this when everyone has long ago moved along to basketball, was probably the most optimistic moment of that entire event. Maybe he did get it, after all? Of course, then he would have known that State’s the real football rival, not that Duke hasn’t done its part in recent years.

    Subsequent events have proven he didn’t know much after all, from the badly botched roster assembly to the Georgia-style rash of traffic violations to all the stuff in his personal life that has made Belichick and his girlfriend tabloid superstars for 11 months. The Belichick hire certainly put the UNC football program on the front page, but no one realized it was going to be the front page of US Weekly, a fine McClatchy Media journalism product.

    These final two games are a chance to put the focus back on football, at the last possible moment. Duke is spiraling, having gone from potential CFP disruptor to battling for bowl eligibility, needing a win over either UNC or Wake Forest. N.C. State may also need a win to become bowl eligible at what could very well be the end of the Dave Doeren era in Raleigh, and if Doeren is done, there would be no better way to go out.

    And still, there may be more on the line for North Carolina than either. Two wins gets the Tar Heels into a bowl. Two wins sends them into the offseason with momentum they have struggled to build under Belichick. Two wins go a long way toward silencing the mocking laughter that has wafted on the wind toward Chapel Hill from other corners of the Triangle from the moment North Carolina started writing Belichick great big novelty checks.

    Even after getting embarrassed by Wake Forest, the latest low in a memorably mediocre season of mediocre Triangle football — 5-5, 5-5, 4-6 — North Carolina still has a chance to come out on top after a season full of shenanigans, as hard as it is to believe that Doeren could lose a game he’s been thinking about winning for 11 months.

    Oddly enough, even with some of Belichick’s strange in-game decisions, coaching overall probably hasn’t been the issue. The defense has improved, and by the historic standards of UNC, anything approaching “vaguely competent” is a veritable miracle. The persistence in sticking with Gio Lopez at quarterback over Max Johnson feels like a business decision, not a football one, but the Tar Heels have been able to run the ball effectively at times. That’s all progress.

    It’s everything else that’s gone haywire. Last week, Belichick notified the world that he was not interested in the New York Giants opening in a statement released by North Carolina. Good to know. Thanks. But the fact that he inserted himself into that conversation when the NFL is clearly not going to be his escape route just shows how fractured his worldview is, just as pulling the plug on the documentary he commissioned did.

    The hastily announced pivot to focusing on freshman once things started to go sour suggests there’s still no real plan, no real foundation, just a bunch of guys who thought they could come in and do Real Football stuff and outsmart everyone. The reality of college football in 2025 is obviously far different. Maybe he should have prepared that 400-page binder after all. It has been a rude awakening, but there’s also no easy way out for Belichick or North Carolina.

    There’s no soft landing in the NFL. If there was ever going to be an agreement on a mutually acceptable buyout, it would have happened in October when both sides were looking for parachutes. If North Carolina’s ever going to get a chance to hire the reset button, it’s going to be costly. But maybe that’s the price to pay for going down this silly road in the first place. Even two wins in the Triangle wouldn’t change the fact that North Carolina’s millions bought it nothing.

    Never miss a Luke DeCock column. Sign up at www.newsobserver.com/newsletters to have them delivered directly to your email inbox as soon as they post.

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    Luke DeCock

    The News & Observer

    Sports columnist Luke DeCock joined The News & Observer in 2000 and has covered nine Final Fours, the Summer Olympics, the Super Bowl and the Carolina Hurricanes’ Stanley Cup win in 2006. He is a past president of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association, was the 2020 winner of the National Headliner Award as the country’s top sports columnist and is a three-time North Carolina Sportswriter of the Year.

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  • Will Bill Belichick leave UNC football to coach the NFL’s Giants? What he said

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    North Carolina coach Bill Belichick talks with recruits prior to the Tar Heels’ game against Stanford on Saturday, November 8, 2025 at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill, N.C.

    North Carolina coach Bill Belichick talks with recruits prior to the Tar Heels’ game against Stanford on Saturday, November 8, 2025 at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill, N.C.


    Robert Willett

    rwillett@newsobserver.com

    Chapel Hill

    In the final weeks of his first regular season as North Carolina’s head football coach, Bill Belichick said Friday night his focus remains solely with the Tar Heels.

    With his name swirling around the New York Giants’ head coaching opening, Belichick said in a statement that he has no intention of leaving UNC for any NFL job.

    “Despite circulating rumors,” Belichick said in a statement, “I have not and will not pursue any NFL head coaching vacancies.”

    The 73-year-old Belichick has a deep history with the Giants, having coached as defensive coordinator on two Giants Super Bowl-winning teams under head coach Bill Parcells following the 1986 and 1990 seasons.

    “I have great respect and genuinely care for the New York Giants organization and both the Mara and Tisch families,” Belichick said in his statement. “The New York Giants played an important role in my life and in my coaching journey. It was a privilege for me to work for the Mara family and be a member of Coach Parcells’ staff for over a decade.”

    Belichick had never coached at the college level prior to this season. After struggling in the season’s first month, UNC (4-5, 2-3 ACC) is on a two-game winning streak entering Saturday’s game at Wake Forest.

    The school’s veteran coach indicated Friday night he plans to continue coaching the Tar Heels following this season.

    “Since arriving in Chapel Hill,” Belichick said, “my commitment to the UNC football program has not wavered. We have tremendous support from the university, our alumni, and the entire Carolina community. My focus remains solely on continuing to improve this team, develop our players, and build a program that makes Tar Heel fans proud.

    “We’re on to Wake Forest.”

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  • UNC, Bill Belichick vying for second consecutive ACC win in Saturday’s game against Stanford :: WRALSportsFan.com

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    By WRAL Staff

    Stanford Cardinal 0
    North Carolina Tar HeelsNorth Carolina Tar Heels 3
    CW | 2nd – 02:00

    Chapel Hill, N.C. — The North Carolina defense had three sacks on Stanford’s first two possessions, including one that led to a fumble recovery deep in Stanford territory.

    UNC led Stanford 3-0 in the second quarter.

    The Tar Heels entered the game with 18 sacks on the season, including 10 in the last two games. The defensive line, in particular, has been a bright spot for the team in recent weeks. Linebacker Andrew Simpson had hit Stanford quarterback Elijah Brown, making his first start, and lineman Smith Vilbert recovered.

    UNC’s offense couldn’t move the ball, and the Tar Heels settled for a 27-yard field goal.

    The Tar Heels (3-5 overall, 1-3 in the ACC) is seeking its second consecutive win under head coach Bill Belichick. The game airs on The CW.

    On Tuesday, Belichick said he’s seen a consistent effort from the UNC players in recent weeks.

    “That’s really been the biggest thing … [as to] why our team has continued to improve because they work hard every week,” Belichick said. “They improve every week.

    “They literally improve every day, and when you stack those on top of each other consistently over a period of time, then you just perform better.”

    Stanford (3-6, 2-4 ACC) has lost two straight games, including a 35-20 loss to Pittsburgh on Nov. 1. Stanford coach Frank Reich, like Belichick a former NFL coach, switched quarterbacks this week.

    Saturday’s game is Military Appreciation Day and homecoming. Several events are planned to honor Tar Heel veterans. The pop group Fitz and The Tantrums performed afree pregame concert in Polk Place as part of the Chapel Thrill Concert Series.

    Scoring summary

    First quarter

    UNC – Rece Verhoff 27 field goal, 5:49. Drive: 4 plays, -2 yards, 0:56. Key play: Linebacker Andrew Simpson forced a fumble and sack and Smith Vilbert recovered at the Stanford 7 to set up the score. UNC 3, Stanford 0.

    When, where, how to watch:

    • When: 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8.
    • Where: Kenan Memorial Stadium in Chapel Hill
    • How to watch: The CW

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  • What we learned about UNC football as a late fumble caused a loss at Cal

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    BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 17: Connor Co #81 of the North Carolina Tar Heels runs the ball while being tackled by Cade Uluave #0 of the California Golden Bears during the first half at California Memorial Stadium on October 17, 2025 in Berkeley, California. (Photo by Thien-An Truong/Getty Images)

    BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 17: Connor Co #81 of the North Carolina Tar Heels runs the ball while being tackled by Cade Uluave #0 of the California Golden Bears during the first half at California Memorial Stadium on October 17, 2025 in Berkeley, California. (Photo by Thien-An Truong/Getty Images)


    Thien-An Truong

    Getty Images

    Berkeley, Calif.

    As Nathan Leacock rushed toward the end zone with less than four minutes left on the clock — and North Carolina down three points — a breakthrough for the Tar Heels seemed imminent Friday night.

    Instead, Cal’s Brent Austin punched the ball from his grasp just shy of the goal line. Soon Leacock was crawling on the turf, trying in vain to reach the ball before the Golden Bears pounced on it.

    Fumble. Turnover. Game essentially over.

    Returning from a drama-filled open date in which rumors of coach Bill Belichick’s exit swirled to such a crescendo that it forced joint statements from the head coach and UNC’s athletic director, North Carolina’s trip to Cal offered a chance for the Tar Heels to provide a source of positive news for the program.

    Instead, what was nearly a statement win — what would have been Belichick’s first conference win as UNC head coach — turned into more frustration and a 21-18 loss. UNC (2-4, 0-2 ACC) played closer than it had against any Power Four opponent this season, but it couldn’t beat the Golden Bears (5-2, 2-1 ACC).

    Still, under the lights of California Memorial Stadium, facing a Pac-12 After Dark-esque 10:30 pm ET kickoff, North Carolina proved its ability to compete against a Power Four team for the first time in the Belichick era. The Tar Heels had been outscored 120-33 against P4 opponents previously this fall, and were coming off a 38-10 loss to Clemson where they trailed 28-3 after one quarter.

    Here’s what we learned from the loss Friday night:

    Lopez looks unsure in return

    Playing his first game in four weeks after recovering from a leg injury, UNC quarterback Gio Lopez left California without throwing an interception. But he had a few close calls in the first half.

    With just under five minutes left in the first quarter, Lopez faced a blitz and targeted Leacock on a go route down the left sideline. The pass was a good bit short. Hezekiah Masses got his hands on the ball — nearly intercepting it — but was called for targeting. Hall’s touchdown on the next play quickly wiped that near-miscue from memory.

    And while Lopez showed off his arm talent at a few points — see his 37-yard completion to Kobe Paysour midway through the first quarter, for instance — his decision-making and accuracy appeared wary at times.

    Gio Lopez of the North Carolina Tar Heels throws a pass during the first half against the California Golden Bears at California Memorial Stadium on Oct. 17, 2025 in Berkeley, California.
    Gio Lopez of the North Carolina Tar Heels throws a pass during the first half against the California Golden Bears at California Memorial Stadium on Oct. 17, 2025 in Berkeley, California. Thien-An Truong Getty Images

    Midway through the second quarter, on a second-and-7 with plenty of time in the pocket, Lopez looked past an open Jordan Shipp in the middle of the field and instead fired deep — and way past — Chris Culliver. The pass was nearly picked off in the end zone.

    Lopez had another close call with just under two minutes to play in the half. In another throw down the field — and another hold-your-breath moment for the Tar Heels — Lopez’s pass intended for tight end Jake Johnson was broken up by Masses. The defensive back, a force to be reckoned with throughout the game, threw his hands on his helmet in frustration at missing the interception.

    Lopez finished the game 18 for 34 (53% completion rate) and threw for 174 yards. He has yet to throw for over 200 yards this season.

    Flawed fundamentals

    North Carolina’s fumble on the first snap of the game didn’t inspire much confidence — especially after a second early bye week. It proved to be a bad omen for the rest of the quarter.

    After a three-and-out on the next offensive possession, UNC began its third drive with a pre-snap penalty — a false start — on offensive lineman Austin Blaske. North Carolina failed to get past the chains for the remainder of the drive.

    Belichick has preached fundamentals throughout his tenure in Chapel Hill. He said in his news conference Monday he felt the team had a “good week” during the bye. Belichick said he saw improvement on the field from a “fundamental standpoint.”

    But dropped passes and mental lapses still plagued the Tar Heels at various points.

    Look no further than the unnecessary roughness call on D’Antre Robinson late in the first quarter, which put Cal in the red zone. Two plays later, the Golden Bears scored when Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele completed a short pass to Jacob De Jesus — putting Cal up 14-7.

    Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele of the California Golden Bears reacts after scoring a touchdown during the first quarter against North Carolina at California Memorial Stadium on Oct. 17, 2025 in Berkeley, California.
    Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele of the California Golden Bears reacts after scoring a touchdown during the first quarter against North Carolina at California Memorial Stadium on Oct. 17, 2025 in Berkeley, California. Thien-An Truong Getty Images

    Cal added to its lead early in the third quarter thanks to some Tar Heel defensive lapses. Golden Bears wideout QuaRon Adams used his wheels to evade multiple UNC defenders and sneak into the end zone five minutes into the second half. A few plays later, in a third-and-9 scenario, Marcus Allen — who slotted into the top cornerback spot with Thad Dixon out — was called for pass interference. That moved Cal to the 2-yard line, where running back Raphael Kendrick scored to put the Golden Bears up 21-10.

    Although North Carolina eventually clawed back into the game, these unnecessary penalties ultimately proved costly.

    Tar Heels look more competitive

    When Benjamin Hall burst into the end zone toward the end of the first quarter on an 18-yard dash, it marked the first meaningful touchdown for UNC football in a month.

    After claiming a win over Richmond on Sept. 13, North Carolina faced halftime deficits of 20-3 against UCF and 35-3 against Clemson before scoring second-half TDs in both matchups. On Friday night in Berkeley, the halftime difference was a slight 14-10.

    And the Tar Heels, to their credit, remained competitive for most of the game. After falling behind 21-10 through three quarters, UNC orchestrated an 11-play, 84-yard drive that ended in a rushing touchdown from running back Davion Gause and a two-point conversion pass to Hall. That brought UNC within field goal distance at 21-18.

    Hall proved to be a bright spot for the Tar Heels, rushing for 68 yards on 14 attempts. He had one touchdown, as did Gause, who rushed for 31 yards on six attempts.

    Despite the Tar Heels’ struggles, they were in a position to take a late lead. They nearly capped off an 11-play, 53-yard drive — if not for Leacock’s late-game fumble.

    And so, in the first game back since UNC’s cornerbacks coach was suspended for NCAA violations, general manager Michael Lombardi made headlines for a preseason fundraising trip to Saudi Arabia and the Tar Heels were accused of having a divided locker room, North Carolina competed.

    That, for now, is a sign of progress.

    This story was originally published October 18, 2025 at 2:41 AM.

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    Shelby Swanson

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  • Report: UNC football suspends assistant coach Armond Hawkins

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    North Carolina coach Bill Belichick enters the field for the Tar Heels’ game against Clemson on Saturday, October 4, 2025 at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill, N.C.

    North Carolina coach Bill Belichick enters the field for the Tar Heels’ game against Clemson on Saturday, October 4, 2025 at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill, N.C.


    Robert Willett

    rwillett@newsobserver.com

    Chapel Hill

    UNC cornerbacks coach Armond Hawkins has been suspended, The Athletic reported Tuesday night.

    The same report stated the suspension of the first-year North Carolina football assistant is related to extra benefits allegations that came to light after a report from WRAL on Monday night about the dysfunction within Bill Belichick’s program.

    Attempts by the News & Observer to confirm the reports with UNC officials Tuesday night were unsuccessful.

    WRAL’s report stated some Belichick-recruited transfers have preferential parking and more tickets for games. Linebacker Khmori House and cornerback Thaddeus Dixon — transfers from Washington — were both named in the WRAL report. Hawkins was the former recruiting analyst and secondary coach at the University of Washington, where he worked under former Huskies and current UNC defensive coordinator Steve Belichick.

    Hawkins was offered employment by UNC on March 26 and signed his contract — worth $575,000 between January 2025 and January 2027 — on April 2. According to section 1 of his contract, Hawkins is obligated to comply with relevant university, conference, NCAA state and federal rules. Failure to do so may lead to “termination for cause.”

    Alleged extra benefits, such as providing a player’s family members with sideline passes, would be a violation of NCAA rules.

    This is a breaking news story and will be updated.

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  • Belichick, Lombardi pledge long-term plan for UNC football. The short term? Ugly

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    The first Tar Heel students began to trickle out with about four minutes left in the first quarter on Saturday. The mass exodus made sense. By the end of the opening period, Clemson had already steamrolled UNC’s defense, recording four touchdowns in its first four possessions (and 16 plays) en route to a no-doubt 38-10 rout.

    Another electric pregame atmosphere and another let down. A month removed from North Carolina’s 48-14 hammering at the hands of TCU, the Tar Heels have made little progress and have even less to show for their efforts. With two weeks off since UNC’s last game, coach Bill Belichick said his team focused on fundamentals first, and preparing for Clemson second.

    “I think we made some improvements last week that we needed to make and kind of reset a few things,” Belichick said Tuesday. “So hopefully that’ll show up this week. It’s a good football team that we’re prepared for.”

    The Tigers brought the Tar Heels back to reality instantly: a 75-yard trick-play touchdown on its very first snap. Clemson never looked back, delivering another embarrassment for Belichick and the Tar Heels.

    Clemson wide receiver T.J. Moore (1) celebrates following a 75-yard pass reception for the Tigers’ first touchdown to take a 7-0 lead over North Carolina on Saturday, October 4, 2025 at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill, N.C.
    Clemson wide receiver T.J. Moore (1) celebrates following a 75-yard pass reception for the Tigers’ first touchdown to take a 7-0 lead over North Carolina on Saturday, October 4, 2025 at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill, N.C. Robert Willett rwillett@newsobserver.com

    Admittedly, it would be unfair to have expected UNC to beat this Clemson team — even one that entered Saturday with its own struggles and a 1-3 start to the season. Just some incremental progress, in a loss, would’ve been a win for the Tar Heels.

    There were a few bright spots: Max Johnson threw for 213 yards (he’s the first North Carolina quarterback to throw for over 200 yards this season). The offense tried to get the ball to wideout Jordan Shipp more, finding him for five catches and 41 yards.

    A new message for UNC fans

    The only real reset in Chapel Hill, though, is Belichick’s messaging — and his excuses. The talking points coming from Belichick and general manager Michael Lombardi have recently expanded from promises of discipline and in-season improvement to multiyear timelines, learning curves and the cyclical refrain of “the process.”

    These past few weeks, Belichick and UNC’s leaders have leaned on big-picture talk. Chancellor Lee Roberts said on Sept. 25 it was too early to judge Belichick after “four games or even one season,” adding, “these things take time.”

    UNC Chancellor Lee Roberts greets fans late in the second half of Clemson’s 38-10 victory over UNC at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill, N.C., Sat. Oct. 4, 2025.
    UNC Chancellor Lee Roberts greets fans late in the second half of Clemson’s 38-10 victory over UNC at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill, N.C., Sat. Oct. 4, 2025. Ethan Hyman ehyman@newsobserver.com

    On Monday during “Carolina Football Live,” Lombardi lamented the difficulties UNC faced during the transfer portals and in spring practice. He promised better success in future high school recruiting cycles and spoke of a multi-year rebuilding plan in a recent email to donors. Belichick echoed that during his appearance on ESPN’s “College GameDay,” touting upcoming recruiting classes.

    “We’ll try to build through the recruiting classes and then supplement that with some transfer guys,” Belichick said in his interview Saturday. “We need a couple good recruiting classes and I think we’re on the way to getting those.”

    Talk of “rebuilding” has now replaced the preseason rhetoric about the “33rd NFL team.” A program billed as pro-level is preaching a return to football basics. But through five games, the results have stayed the same — and in many ways gotten worse.

    North Carolina football general manager Michael Lombardi, right, walks the sidelines on Saturday, October 4, 2025 at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill, N.C.
    North Carolina football general manager Michael Lombardi, right, walks the sidelines on Saturday, October 4, 2025 at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill, N.C. Robert Willett rwillett@newsobserver.com

    North Carolina is now 0-3 against Power 4 opponents, outscored 120-33 in those games. The Tigers, who put not one but two backup quarterbacks into the game as it slipped further out of reach, could have stretched the margin on Saturday even further if coach Dabo Swinney had wanted.

    UNC had an off week to patch things up, but fundamental errors continued. They were echoed in a series of pre-snap penalties, blown coverages, a special teams timeout with 12 players on the field, missed assignments and situational confusion.

    The Tar Heels’ defense, co-coached by Belichick’s sons Steve and Brian, yielded 399 passing yards and allowed Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik to complete 22 of 24 passes for 254 yards and four touchdowns. Klubnik and his receivers picked apart UNC’s secondary with ease, exploiting coverage busts for 10 explosive plays.

    Clemson wide receiver T.J. Moore (1) pulls in a pass from quarterback Cade Klubnik over North Carolina defensive back Marcus Allen (29) in the second quarter on Saturday, October 4, 2025 at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill, N.C.
    Clemson wide receiver T.J. Moore (1) pulls in a pass from quarterback Cade Klubnik over North Carolina defensive back Marcus Allen (29) in the second quarter on Saturday, October 4, 2025 at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill, N.C. Robert Willett rwillett@newsobserver.com

    “We gave up too many explosive plays,” Belichick said. “When we stopped giving those up, we were able to be competitive… but we gave up too many in the first quarter.”

    Even moments that seemed poised to help UNC break up the onslaught were erased: would-be interceptions by Thaddeus Dixon and Gavin Gibson were overturned. UNC’s offense opened with a field goal but stalled until a late touchdown in the fourth quarter finally broke the drought.

    The outcome, though, had long been decided.

    Belichick preaches patience

    Belichick maintained a patient, process-driven tone after the game. He said the team would keep grinding. They’d get back to work and have “another good week.”

    North Carolina faces an open week, followed by a long trip west to California for a 10:30 p.m. kickoff on Oct. 17 — hardly a reprieve given the late start.

    So far for Belichick and his team, all that’s really new is in the explanations and how the latest disappointment is framed. But, while some of UNC’s leadership is already leaning further into talk of the future, Shipp has made it clear he wants results now.

    “To be honest, I’m not worried about rebuild,” Shipp said. “I’m not here to rebuild. I’m here to win football games. That’s why I’m here. That’s why I stayed here.”

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  • Why a distance runner-gone-viral is intently following UNC-Clemson football

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    When North Carolina football lost 48-14 to TCU in the season opener, Chase Bandolik didn’t hurl a remote at the TV or complain on X. Instead, he hopped on his treadmill at 11 p.m. and ran 34 miles — one for each point in UNC’s final deficit — through the night. He finished around 5 a.m., grabbed some water and headed straight into work.

    “They were all joking the next day,” Bandolik said of his coworkers. “Like, ‘Oh boy, you really got let down last night.”

    Bandolik, a 29-year-old gym owner and trainer from Illinois isn’t a UNC fan. He’s not a Southerner, either. But he’s turned football heartbreak into his own personal endurance test and shared his journey with more than 127,000 followers on social media. The videos capturing his UNC-TCU challenge — and ensuing pain — earned more than 94,000 likes on Instagram and 255,000 views on TikTok.

    Saturday, with Dabo Swinney and the 1-3 Clemson Tigers coming to Chapel Hill to face Bill Belichick’s 2-2 squad, Bandolik is once again putting his legs on the line. For every point by which the Tar Heels lose, Bandolik has pledged to run a mile.

    “It’s always fun just to add the running component,” Bandolik said. “It makes me even more invested in the game. So it’s just kind of a fun spin.”

    Runner Chase Bandolik
    Runner Chase Bandolik Courtesy of Chase Bandolik

    Bandolik began this challenge as a way to cope as a Chicago Bears fan. Frustrated by repeated losses and the negative feelings that followed, Bandolik, a former college football player at Illinois Wesleyan, decided to channel his energy into something positive after each game.

    “I always felt down after the game,” Bandolik said. “So I’m like, ‘OK, how could I have a little bit better of a feeling?’ And something I enjoy doing is running.”

    The postgame runs gave him a better outlook and kept him engaged with the Bears, even amidst a losing season. The tradition expanded this year to include occasional college games, with Bandolik picking a matchup and adding his signature twist: running a mile for every point his chosen team loses by.

    And so on Sept. 1, as UNC fans groaned through Bill Belichick’s college debut on the sidelines, Bandolik prepared himself for an ultramarathon distance.

    “I was telling my fiancee before the game, ‘Oh, this is gonna be great. I’m gonna get to watch the game and this one, they’re probably gonna win, so I won’t even have to run at all,’” Bandolik said, later adding, “And as the game was going on, she kept checking in on me, just like, ‘What is going on?’ I was like, ‘I have no clue.’”

    Bandolik recorded parts of the season opener from his TV at home, narrating the UNC loss with an energy that gradually diminished as his cruel fate became more clear. When North Carolina scored its second touchdown, he added: “I needed that touchdown bad.”

    The video then cut to Bandolik on his at-home treadmill, calling out every single mile as he logged his marathon effort — literally. His previous longest distance in a social media challenge was 28 miles, a mark bestowed upon him by a Bears loss last fall.

    North Carolina football fans have been here plenty of times. Maybe not the distance runs, but the letdowns and the what-could-have-beens. The moments when the ceiling for a beloved team seemed low enough to bonk your head on.

    Running after losses became Bandolik’s answer to the frustration he felt watching the Bears stumble. Instead of stewing, he hopped on his treadmill or a local trail.

    “I was like, OK, I always feel good after a run,” Bandolik said. “So if I incorporate that into these games to where now, if they lose a lot, I’ll run a lot — and then I enjoy it — so I feel a lot better after the games.

    It is sometimes rough if it’s a late game, and then it’s a lot more than you want to run, but it’s been just a fun way to keep me engaged.”

    More than a personal challenge, Bandolik has become part of the growing online culture — or “memery” — surrounding UNC football, where fans poke fun at oddities and unexpected moments like a Ludacris concert rescheduled for 10 a.m. thanks to a noon kickoff. Whether it’s teams like UCF and TCU clowning the team and Belichick on social media or the thriving digital communities of the ACC (re: the “Calgorithm”), the thriving digital community brings a fun twist to following ACC football.

    Bandolik’s running challenge, he hopes, will also give fans new ways to engage and make the quirky games and struggling teams worth showing up for.

    “I’m like, ‘How can I make this more relatable for other people,’” Bandolik said. “But also, like, add in more misery to where they’re waiting till the end to see what happens.”

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    Shelby Swanson

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  • UNC football to focus more on high school recruits, Belichick and Lombardi say

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    chapel hill

    North Carolina football will be a “high school-based recruiting program” moving forward, said general manager Michael Lombardi.

    During Monday’s “Carolina Football Live,” the weekly radio show hosted by play-by-play announcer Jones Angell at Top of the Hill Restaurant & Brewery in Chapel Hill, Lombardi and North Carolina coach Bill Belichick discussed the balance of high school vs. portal recruiting, as well as future changes to the transfer window.

    On Sept. 17, the NCAA announced a shift to a single offseason transfer window for college football, as the Division I Administrative Committee voted to eliminate the spring window.

    Belichick joked, at first, that “it doesn’t really matter” what he thinks the rules are, but offered some pros and cons. One concern, Belichick proffered, is an inability to find late replacements if a key player gets injured or can’t perform as expected in spring practice.

    Belichick pointed to UNC’s issues at center as an example. He said the team “lost two centers in two days” in training camp.

    “We’re down to our third center in the first week of training camp,” Belichick said. “And so if you don’t have another center, then you have to take somebody from another position.”

    For North Carolina, that “somebody” has been Chad Lindberg, a graduate transfer from Rice University. After playing left guard and left tackle last season, Lindberg has slotted in at center for UNC this fall as Austin Blaske is recovering from an injury.

    On the flipside, having one portal window does “simplify things a little bit,” said Belichick, allowing coaches to get their teams in order earlier.

    “You can go to spring ball and you can train your team and they’re together for basically the entire year,” Belichick said.

    That’s a stark difference from how UNC approached this past offseason.

    North Carolina recruited heavily in the spring, adding more than 20 players in that portal window. But UNC also lost more than 20 athletes to the portal after spring workouts.

    “Everything we did in the spring ended up being not really what we were,” Lombardi said Monday, “because we were coaching players that ended up leaving.”

    North Carolina football general manager Michael Lombardi talks with head football coach Bill Belichick during UNC football’s Practice Like a Pro open practice at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill, N.C., Saturday, April 12, 2025.
    North Carolina football general manager Michael Lombardi talks with head football coach Bill Belichick during UNC football’s Practice Like a Pro open practice at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill, N.C., Saturday, April 12, 2025. Ethan Hyman ehyman@newsobserver.com

    Lombardi described the portal as an expensive and unsustainable way to build a program. Instead, the Tar Heels want to work “the bottom of the roster moving up” and lean into Belichick’s ability to develop players in future high school recruiting cycles, said Lombardi.

    “We’re going to use high school recruiting to be the cornerstone of the program,” Lombardi said.

    Lombardi said he wrote to boosters Monday about wanting the 2026 class to be, ultimately, two classes in order to “fill in some of the gaps that we had in the roster in terms of prior years.” He estimated bringing in over 40 players in the next recruiting class and turning over a good portion of the roster due to the high number of seniors on the team.

    The portal will still be used, of course, but only to fill gaps — much like how an NFL team uses free agency to patch holes. Lombardi pointed to offensive lineman as an example, joking that “you can’t afford any offensive lineman in college football.”

    “If you try to build an offensive line in free agency, you won’t have any money to pay anybody else,” Lombardi said. “So you have to develop players from within, and that’s what we’re working on.”

    UNC has not yet had a traditional recruiting class under Belichick’s staff, but Lombardi said the Tar Heels have secured over 34 commits.

    The challenge, now, is “hanging on” to those recruits, Lombardi said.

    “Everybody says, ‘Well if you don’t win, you’re going to lose the commits,’” Lombardi said. “Actually, their eyes get bigger because they want to play sooner. So, you know, that’s a really good thing, and you just have to keep recruiting them.”

    Lombardi boasted UNC as a “national program” that’s still drawing energetic interest from recruits despite a rough start to the 2025 season.

    “Obviously, you know, we’re two and two [and] we’ve taken our lumps to two games,” Lombardi said. “But, woah, can we get this program to where it’s going to be — because of the program, not because of me or Bill, it’s just the way the program is.

    We work hard at what we’re doing. Players want to come play here.”

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    Shelby Swanson

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  • Belichick’s UNC debut goes bust as TCU routs the Tar Heels :: WRALSportsFan.com

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    By Brian Murphy, WRAL News

    TCU Horned Frogs 48
    North Carolina Tar HeelsNorth Carolina Tar Heels 14
    Final

    Chapel Hill, N.C. — The Bill Belichick era couldn’t have gotten off to a better start at North Carolina, but the rest of the game could hardly have been worse for the Tar Heels.

    TCU defeated UNC 48-14 at Kenan Stadium on Monday night, spoiling Belichick’s highly anticipated debut and sending almost all of the capacity crowd home early.

    The Tar Heels went 83 yards in seven plays on its first drive with running back Caleb Hood capping it off with an 8-yard touchdown run. UNC rushed five times for 25 yards on the drive, and quarterback Gio Lopez completed both of his pass attempts – both to Jordan Shipp – for 58 yards on the drive.

    The highlights ended there for UNC and Belichick.

    The Tar Heels’ offense completely stalled after that. Lopez went more than two hours of real time before his next completion. And TCU scored the game’s next 41 points, including two defensive scores.

    TCU had a 27-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Josh Hoover to receiver Jordan Dwyer to tie the game and then took the lead 10-7 on a field goal early in the second half.

    TCU was in scoring position again, but UNC forced the game’s first turnover when Kaleb Cost snagged a tipped pass at the UNC 17. However, on the ensuing possession, Bud Clark intercepted a Lopez pass and returned it 25 yards for a TCU touchdown. TCU added a field goal right before half.

    Things got worse for UNC after halftime.

    TCU running back Kevorian Barnes ran 75 yards untouched on the first play of the third quarter to extend the Horned Frogs’ edge.

    TCU added to the lead on a 28-yard touchdown run, and then a fumble recovery for a touchdown when Lopez was hit and lost the ball. Lopez came up hobbling after the play and was replaced by Max Johnson at quarterback.

    Johnson led UNC on an 80-yard scoring drive, capping it with a 2-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jake Johnson, his brother. Max Johnson started the 2024 opener against Minnesota, but suffered a gruesome leg injury that ended his season. He almost lost his leg due to the injury.

    TCU finished with 522 yards of total offense and 29 first downs. UNC had 222 yards of total offense and 10 first downs. The Tar Heels turned the ball over three times and converted just one of 10 third-down tries.

    UNC hired Belichick, who won six Super Bowls with the New England Patriots, to revitalize its sagging football program. The emphasis has paid off so far in additional ticket sales, more sponsorship dollars, more donations and increased media attention.

    UNC legends Michael Jordan, Lawrence Taylor and Roy Williams were seated together in a suite. ESPN hosted a pregame show live from the sidelines with former Alabama coach (and Belichick assistant) Nick Saban and former Belichick players Randy Moss and Tedy Bruschi on the set.

    But fans likely expected a better effort in the opener, a game in which UNC was favored by more than a field goal.

    Neither team provided a depth chart for the highly anticipated season opener in a bit of gamesmanship.

    First quarter

    UNC — Caleb Hood 8 run (Rece Verhoff kick), 10:55. Drive: 7 plays, 83 yards, 3:59. Key play: Gio Lopez hit Jordan Shipp for 39 yards and 19 yards on back-to-back plays to move UNC deep into TCU territory. UNC 7, TCU 0.

    TCU — Jordan Dwyer 27 pass from Josh Hoover (Kyle Lemmermann kick), 4:08. Drive: 6 plays, 58 yards, 2:31. Key play: UNC defensive back Marcus Allen was called for pass interference after an incomplete pass on 2nd-and-11. UNC 7, TCU 7.

    Second quarter

    TCU – Lemmermann 32 field goal, 11:18. Drive: 14 plays, 55 yards, 6:24. Key play: An offensive pass interference penalty in the end zone stalled the TCU drive. TCU 10, UNC 7.

    TCU – Bud Clark 25 interception return (Lemmerman kick), 3:57. No drive. Key play: Clark stepped in front of a Lopez third-down pass intended for Shipp and ran untouched into the end zone. TCU 17, UNC 7.

    TCU – Lemmermann 33 field goal, 0:00. Drive: 9 plays, 63 yards, 0:53. Key plays: TCU didn’t even need a third-down conversion as it moved down the field for a field goal. TCU 24, UNC 7.

    Third quarter

    TCU – Kevorian Barnes 75 run (Lemmermann kick), 14:48. Drive: 1 play, 75 yards, 0:12. Key play: Barnes, who had 36 yards in the first half, burst through the middle of the UNC line and outran everyone to the end zone. TCU 27, UNC 7.

    TCU – Devean Deal 31 fumble recovery (Lemmerman kick), 6:56. No drive. Key play: Lopez was scrambling and got hit from behind, losing the ball. Deal picked it up and ran into the end zone. TCU 41, UNC 7.

    UNC – Jake Johnson 2 pass from Max Johnson (Verhoff kick), 0:29. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 6:22. Key play: Max Johnon connected with Shipp for 16 yards on third-and-8 at the UNC 22; Davion Gause rushed for three yards on fourth-and-2 to extend the drive. TCU 41, UNC 14.

    Fourth quarter

    TCU – DJ Rogers 4 pass from Hoover (Lemmermann kick), 9:21. Drive: 5 plays, 76 yards, 2:26. Key play: TCU got the ball after a UNC fumble and ripped off gains of 16, 26 and 33 on consecutive plays. TCU 48, UNC 14.

    Belichick debut pushes excitement over UNC football to new levels

    There have been some big games at Kenan Stadium over the past three decades. Florida State in 1993 and, especially, in 1997 with ESPN’s “College GameDay” in Chapel Hill come to mind. So, too, do Notre Dame’s visits and Mack Brown’s first game back against Miami 2019.

    But Bill Belichick’s coaching debut in Chapel Hill stands alone for long-time observers of the program. The legendary NFL coach will lead the Tar Heels against TCU in a highly anticipated season opener Monday night. Tickets are sold out. ESPN will broadcast the game, having promoted Belichick’s presence all weekend.

    UNC legends Michael Jordan, Lawrence Taylor, Mia Hamm and Julius Peppers are expected to be in attendance, along with other former football and men’s basketball players. Country music singer Eric Church is expected, too.

    “I don’t remember anything like this,” said Rick Steinbacher, a senior associate athletics director who has been around the football program in different capacities for 42 years. “It’s Monday night. It’s Bill Belichick. So much excitement, so much enthusiasm. There’s just so much hope and optimism about this new era under Coach Belichick and to be able to have his first game at Carolina in Kenan on a Monday night, which we’ve never done before.”

    It’s the culmination of a nine-month frenzy around the program since Belichick was hired in December. He has 333 career wins in the NFL (regular season and postseason) and six Super Bowl titles as head coach of the New England Patriots.

    His hiring was an indication that the Tar Heels, who haven’t won an ACC football title since 1980, are getting serious about the sport. UNC, as one Board of Trustees member put it in December, was tired of being “in the JV tier.”

    Nothing about Belichick says junior varsity.

    Nor does anything about the school’s investment – $50 million over five years for Belichick, $13 million in revenue sharing with the players, the highest-paid general manager in the sport, revamped strength and conditioning and nutrition programs. To capitalize on the excitement around Belichick and football, the school launched a revamped tailgating scene dubbed “Chapel Thrill,” including a concert series on the main quad.

    “More so than ever before, there’s absolute alignment on campus, from the chancellor’s office to UNC facilities to just so many groups,” Steinbacher said. “There’s so much alignment around, ‘Hey, let’s build a football program that can be successful for the long term.’ We’ve got a great new coach in here to do that. We’ve got Chapel Thrill. We’ve got lots of different things that we haven’t done previously that we’re doing now.

    “We’ve been successful, we just haven’t been consistent over the long term, and it’s been too long since we won a conference championship. But I really think everything that we’re doing, and when I saw we, I mean the university, the athletics department, the football program, it’s in total alignment and it’s being put together for consistent, long-term success.”

    Belichick is 73. He has revamped the roster, bringing in 70 new players. Long-term success can be fleeting in today’s game where every program is one coaching change away from a boom or bust cycle.

    Just ask Alabama.

    Or TCU.

    The Horned Frogs reached the College Football Playoff national title game in 2022, their first season under coach Sonny Dykes. TCU went 5-7 the next season before bouncing back with a 9-4 campaign in 2024. TCU presents a big challenge.

    “They really make you defend all the blades of grass on the field, sideline to sideline, the line of scrimmage to 50 yards down the field,” said Belichick, whose sons Steve (defensive coordinator) and Brian (defensive backs coach) are on the UNC defensive staff.

    Despite all the attention on Belichick – or maybe because of it – there is a whole lot unknown about the Tar Heels. South Alabama transfer Gio Lopez will start at quarterback, but the team didn’t release a full depth chart. Staff holdover Freddie Kitchens will coordinate the offense, but it’s a “head coach-run program,” as general manager Michael Lombardi said in February.

    Belichick is known for the simplicity of his messaging: Do your job. That hasn’t changed even with the excitement surrounding his debut.

    “However many people are here or not here, or however many hours they talk about it on a network show or don’t talk about it, is really not anything we can control,” Belichick said. “It’s irrelevant. We’re trying to focus on what we can control, what helps us win and so the rest of it is, with all due respect, just noise for us. We have to focus on our job.”

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