Bill Belichick, North Carolina set to play in New England in 2026
Belichick is making the trip back to New England.
Nov 29, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick addresses the media after the second half of the game against NC State Wolfpack at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images
Bill Belichick is coming back to New England.
North Carolina and Belichick are set to make the trip up the east coast this fall to take on UConn on Nov. 7. The game will mark the first time Belichick will return to the region as a head coach since his departure from the Patriots in early 2024.
Belichick’s first season as the Tar Heels head coach was far from perfect, going 4-8 and failing to be eligible for a bowl game.
With the way North Carolina’s schedule is shaping up for 2026, it looks like it is going to be another hard mountain to climb for Belichick. The Tar Heels kick off their season in Ireland against TCU and have marquee matchups with traditional powerhouses in Clemson, Notre Dame and Miami.
UConn on the other hand is a program on the upswing, coming off a 9-4 campaign in 2025. The Huskies will have a new head coach in Jason Candle after Jim Mora left for Colorado State.
It will be interesting to see how Belichick’s squad is welcomed in an area filled with fans that cheered for him and his Patriots’s squads for 20 years.
