It was always going to be a bit of a gamble when Bill Belichick came to college football. For starters, he’s never coached at that level before. Plus, at 73 years old, it was a head-scratcher since UNC had just let go of Mack Brown, who was also 72. So, is Belichick really the guy to lead UNC out of mediocrity? His $1 million release clause doesn’t exactly scream “long-term commitment.” UNC’s athletic director says Belichick’s impact is big, but that doesn’t mean he’s off the hook if things don’t pan out.

UNC’s football program has mostly been ‘average’ in recent memory, with its basketball program racking up most accolades. For context, the Tar Heels haven’t won an ACC title since 1980 and have mostly stayed out of national relevance. Enter Bill Belichick, and that started to change quickly. The same UNC Football that strived for media coverage was at the center of it all. And all of this, along with Belichick’s NFL legacy, is already showing results.

UNC’s Athletic Director, Bubba Cunningham, sat on 99.9 The Fan’s podcast and talked about how Belichick’s arrival helped the program in generating unprecedented revenue. “We increased the football ticket prices immediately, and then we sold out. Then we sold out season tickets. Now we’ve sold out the individual game tickets. With the new success initiatives and the ACC, our television audiences should be up significantly. The donor interest and the excellence fund that the Rams Club now has have shot up. So we have more than paid for our initial investment,” said Cunningham. But that’s not all.

Even with a 25% price hike, UNC sold out all 20,000 season tickets, and they’re seeing a nice boost in premium seating, too. A lot of this success can be credited to the changes Belichick has brought to the program. They’re planning some cool stuff like concerts and a better game day experience with a bunch of events lined up. Plus, bringing in Michael Lombardi as UNC’s GM shows they’re shaking things up in recruiting, assuming Belichick’s approach works. But what happens if things don’t go as planned?

Cunningham expanded on how the increased revenue is being planned to “subsidize” other sports. But when the podcast’s host, Adam Gold, asked, “So by next year he’s (Belichick) got to be in the college football playoff or he’s on the hot seat,” Cunningham, without any hesitation, agreed with the “hot seat” take and provided his reasoning. “You know, Damon (Nahas), Erin (Matson), I mean, those coaches got it done immediately. You know, the patience level around here is pretty short,” said Cunningham. Can Bill Belichick achieve immediate success like Erin Matson or Damon Nahas?

Damon Nahas was appointed the UNC women’s soccer team’s head coach in 2024 and won the national championship, defeating Wake Forest 1-0. As for Erin Matson, she became the head coach of UNC’s Field Hockey team in 2023 and won an NCAA championship in the same year. Along with an ACC championship last year. Replicating this kind of immediate success for Belichick in football will be a tough ask, but in two or three years, it can surely be done. However, this year? Seems like Belichick is in a big dilemma.

QB1 dilemma has the potential to derail Belichick’s 2025 plans

Most of the college football teams, including Ohio State, Alabama, and Syracuse, have named their QB1s behind the center, ending widespread speculation. In that regard, UNC also has a QB competition with Gio Lopez and Max Johnson fighting for the spot. However, with less than 10 days to go for the first game of the season, Belichick refused to give a specific name for his QB1 in a recent press conference.

“We’re getting ready to do that this afternoon—to announce the starting lineups and the play times and how we’ll be substituting everything. So, Brandon will get that to you as soon as we get done. We want to make sure we get that out there right away,” said Belichick on 20th August. Notably, both QBs are solid contenders and come with their own upsides.

Gio Lopez comes from South Alabama after passing for 2,559 yards and rushing for another 463 yards, giving a dual threat to Belichick. On the other hand, Max Johnson, having been the QB for SEC teams like LSU and Texas A&M, boasts rich experience and is already on the ‘comeback player of the year’ watch list. Now, who will win the QB battle? It’s just a matter of time before Belichick announces it.