We really should be talking about football. Instead, two days away from the big first game of 2025, here we are. The real drama is happening in boardrooms, text chains, and whispered phone calls as the SEC and Big Ten quietly plot the next wave of realignment. But this is intriguing as much. Because it involves the team Bill Belichick is coaching. North Carolina’s got realignment suitors.

Brett McMurphy dropped the news that got everybody talking. On August 27, On3 Sports posted a video of the analyst in a discussion with Andy Staples and Arizona Wasserman. The news is that North Carolina and Virginia are attractive to both the SEC and Big Ten in expansion. “Look, after I reported that this morning, I immediately got a text from someone within the SEC and basically said what I’ve been thinking and that is North Carolina and Virginia will be highly contested between both conferences,” he said. “And where they end up, look, no one knows, it’s impossible to say. But I do really believe that they are the most attractive to both leagues.” Let’s dig deeper. 

The implications of Brett McMurphy’s report ripple across the landscape. The Big Ten just went coast-to-coast by adding USC, UCLA, Oregon, and Washington, while the SEC bolstered its ranks with Texas and Oklahoma. If UNC and Virginia were to shift conferences, it could trigger seismic changes, forcing every league to reevaluate its positioning, playoff scenarios, and TV contracts. This isn’t speculation for the sake of conversation. This kind of move can reshape the sport for decades. Can Bill Belichick survive the SEC gauntlet with the likes of Steve Sarkisian, Kalen DeBoer, and Kirby Smart? Or what about the Big Ten with Ryan Day and Dan Lanning? 

Bill Belichick, ever the observer, weighed in carefully when asked about the Big Ten’s College Football Playoff proposals. “I think that one is over my pay grade,” he said. “I have a ton of respect for Tony, I think Tony’s done a great job as commissioner of the Big Ten. Greg (Sankey) in the SEC, for that matter. Whatever the conference commissioners and NCAA, college presidents, decide, is what they decide.” Meaning the HC won’t take sides, but his presence in the conversation underscores the seriousness of what’s brewing. Meanwhile, UNC is navigating more than just conference politics. 

Bill Belichick in the thick of social media and legal heat 

There’s a social media subplot adding in when it comes to Bill Belichick’s personal life. His girlfriend Jordon Hudson recently posted a now-deleted video of cameras at UNC practices and a cheeky “Look What You Made Me Do”–style photo blowing a kiss to the HC. The problem was that the image was snapped by ‘The News and Observer’ photographer Ethan Hyman, reposted without credit. Intellectual property attorney David McKenzie says this could be a DMCA violation. “If she cropped away credit, she’s flirting with DMCA §1202 (removal of copyright-management information),” he added on X. UNC could be in legal hot water if this behavior continues.

Even if the photo shows Jordon Hudson herself, copyright law is clear. Being depicted doesn’t grant ownership. “If I’m Hulu/EverWonder, this triggers a lockdown: zero unsanctioned posting, all content routed through the production, E&O, and NDA reminders in writing, and immediate credentials consequences for violations,” McKenzie said. Media companies could respond with lockdowns, stricter credential rules, and NDAs. UNC might have to enforce tighter access, flow-down agreements, and personal-device bans in restricted zones. “One impulsive post is a mistake; a pattern is willfulness,” he added. 

College football’s next five years are shaping up to be wild. Conferences are making seismic moves, prized programs are on the table, and digital missteps are drawing legal heat. And Bill Belichick, quietly observing, reminds everyone that even legends watch these power shifts closely.