Unc Hired Bill Belichick To Boost Its Football Profile. A Game In Ireland Marks A Return On That Bet

Bill Belichick had a quick chuckle as he recalled the unusual practice settings when he took the NFL's New England Patriots to play in London. That included holding a walk-through practice in the middle of the public Hyde Park.

"People were walking by, walking their dogs and doing their thing and all that," Belichick said with a grin Wednesday.

It's a moment that lingers with Belichick more than a dozen years on now as a first-time college coach at North Carolina . It's the kind of unique memory he pointed to when discussing the Tar Heels playing TCU in Ireland to open the 2026 season , along with illustrating why the school has bet big on the six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach.

"This game is just another example of the kind of profile, the kind of opportunities that we're hoping to have through our investment in the football program," chancellor Lee Roberts said at a campus news conference, the day after the game was announced.

More specifically, the investment Roberts cited is on Belichick, who turned 73 last week.