The Huskies' Nov. 7 matchup against North Carolina is one of the marquee points of the schedule, but will the matchup happen as its intended to?
When the University of Connecticut football schedule was announced earlier this year, fans were drawn to how strong the schedule was, especially on the home side of things.
Three power conference teams (Maryland, North Carolina and Syracuse) are coming to Storrs, and UConn fans are also going to see James Madison, a College Football Playoff Participant from 2025, come to town.
The North Carolina matchup on Nov. 7 was particularly intriguing because it meant the return of Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick to New England for the first time since he was fired as the head coach of the New England Patriots at the end of the 2023 season.
Belichick led the Patriots to six Super Bowl championships and is widely credited as the greatest football coach of all-time. A chance to see him come back to New England was a great gift for UConn, and for New England football fans.
But will Belichick even make it to that matchup? It's certainly up for debate at this point.
What's going on at UNC?
Earlier this summer, general manager Mike Lombardi, a longtime partner of Belichick's, was placed on administrative leave. On Thursday, he resigned before a major report from WRAL.
According to the report, the university is looking into whether or not Steve Belichick, Bill's son and the UNC defensive coordinator, used drugs at school facilities. They are looking into whether or not Steve Belichick provided drugs to at least one player, and they are also looking into potential improper relationships between coaches and recruiting staffers and at least recruiting staffer and a player.
All this is to say that some people believe the university is looking to build a case against Bill Belichick for the purpose of removing him as head coach. If he is fired for cause, the the school doesn't owe him additional money.
North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick and TCU Horned Frogs head coach Sonny Dykes shake hands after the game at Aviva Stadium. Laszlo Geczo-Imagn ImagesThe Tar Heels went just 4-8 last season, while also going 2-6 in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). They were a laughingstock because of their play on field, as well as Belichick's relationship with the much younger Jordan Hudson, who appeared to insert herself into the program as well.
UNC did win its first contest of the season this year, beating TCU 15-10 in Week 0.
As for UConn?
The Huskies will kick off their season on Saturday at noon ET against Lafayette. Jason Candle will man the sidelines for the first time, as he took over for Jim Mora in the offseason. Mora bolted for Colorado State.
