The ACC stands on some seriously shaky ground at the moment. Clemson and FSU now have the green light to bolt from the conference anytime they want to. Now that would dent ACC’s already poor reputation in college football. But imagine losing the dark horse of your unit to an already strong league. Bill Belichick might be in line to completely wreck the ACC, as rumors grow about his possible association with the Big 10. However, that might not be the Tar Heels’ ultimate home after all.

North Carolina football, despite being a little dim in recent years, suddenly got the ACC back into the media when Belichick took control. The situation is now such that anything Belichick does will affect UNC, and that, in turn, will have a defining impact on the ACC. With the Clemson and FSU settlements paving the way for programs to leave the ACC, the Tar Heels are seeking some lucrative opportunities elsewhere. There are talks that UNC might be looking to join the Big 10.

According to Locked on Tar Heels’ Issac Schade, the academic standards of the conference aligned with those of North Carolina. He said in the July 24 episode, “I don’t know if I would say likely, but the better landing spot is for Carolina to go to the Big 10 over the SEC for both academic and athletic reasons. On the academic side, it’s because Carolina, as a university, lines up more with the Big 10 schools, more of which are in that higher echelon. Athletically, Carolina also lines up with Big 10 schools better because there are quite a few sports of Carolina’s 28 varsity sports that the SEC simply just doesn’t have.”

However, it may now seem like Bill Belichick and Co. are aiming for even higher standards. Schade quoted Inside Carolina’s Adam Smith’s reports on discussions about UNC’s desired conference. “[The] academics among UNC’s faculty preferred joining the Big 10 while the UNC fan base often wanted a jump to the SEC. But make no mistake now, multiple sources told IC, the SEC is where the Tar Heels are aiming under the leadership of [Lee Harris] Roberts and [Steve] Newmark,” Schade relayed from the insider’s report. And that’s not the only fact. The fear is that after Clemson and FSU leave, UNC might be the one to lead the talks of conference realignment, undoing all the impassioned “united front” comments commissioner Jim Phillips made.

Bill Belichick’s arrival brought a rapid influx of financial gain to both UNC and the ACC. Media rights, NIL, brands—you name it, and they’re now willing to give Tar Heels football a larger stage than before. What seemed to be the biggest win for the conference in a long time now stands to hollow out the conference should the veteran coach and UNC decide to do so. And that’s more so because of the wide-open door that’s beckoning programs to venture out into the open.

The plan is set for Bill Belichick and Co. once Steve Newmark takes over

Bubba Cunningham is getting bumped up the UNC hierarchy soon. In 2029, he will hold the position of Senior Advisor to the Chancellor, which vacates the AD position for Steve Newmark. He currently holds the position of President of Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing. And according to the inside scoop, Newmark will have a major responsibility waiting for him when he joins in 2026. The jump from the ACC to the SEC is going to be extremely drastic. Thankfully, it won’t be pinching at the program’s pockets.

“Sources said the 2030-31 school year, when the ACC’s decreasing exit fees dip from $93 million to the flat $75 million threshold, would figure to become an important final line of demarcation if the Tar Heels haven’t made their departure sooner,” Schade continued off Smith’s report. No one will be announcing their decision to leave the ACC this season, since the date to send in a letter of intent has already passed. But from next year, however, things get interesting. If the Tar Heels follow Clemson and FSU out, who knows how much longer the ACC can hold onto the other programs?

Bill Belichick’s arrival in college football will tend to sometimes direct things in the sport. A major reason he accepted the UNC offer was that it allowed him to take significant control. He will be an influence in the decision to leave the ACC, now that it sees a clear way out. But will a program like the Tar Heels be able to exist in a cutthroat environment like the SEC? We’ll have to first see how Belichick’s debut season pans out to fathom that scenario.