Well, well, well. Looks like shuffles and realignments are all around. And it’s not just players and coaches on the move. Some programs might be eyeing new conferences too. The biggest name in the mix? Bill Belichick’s North Carolina Tar Heels. If they bolt from the ACC, it could be a death knell for the conference, which has already been struggling with revenue disparities. And let’s be honest, it wouldn’t look good for the HC’s future in college either. 

ACC did catch a lot of side eyes. That’s because of the big difference in the fortunes of the SEC and Big 10. The difference has been so vast that Clemson and FSU filed a lawsuit against ACC. The numbers are going to give you a clearer idea. The SEC distributed $51.3 million to its teams, while the teams under the Big 10 got $60.3 million. For the ACC programs, they got only $45 million. However, it turns out that Dabo Swinney and Mike Norvell were successfully able to squeeze in extra money.

ACC has successfully retained the programs with a nine-year extension of its TV deal with ESPN, which will run through 2036. So, it’s obvious that Belichick would be looking for a chance to realign the conference. After all, they carry with them the charm as pointed out by The Athletic’s Brendan Marks.

On the Until Saturday podcast, the analyst stated, “I think it’s 100% true. I mean other than Notre Dame I think you could make the argument and you talk to former TV executives; you talk to people throughout the industry. North Carolina is probably the most valuable non-Notre Dame domino left in the realignment board.” Historically, Tar Heels is a program that wins in 55% of its games. Belichick’s program has shown it can consistently compete for conference championships and top-25 finishes over the years. So, already, they must be on the radar of other conferences. Plus, the geographical location also might be a big turn-off for ACC.

“When you’re talking about the geographic proximity, North Carolina could work with the SEC North Carolina could work with the Big 10,” stated Marks. Their academic prestige is also their big USP. However, no matter what the Tar Heels history says, Belichick will have to prove himself in North Carolina to earn the trust of other conferences. Sadly, in that case, another analyst paints a grim picture for the ex-New England Patriots HC. 

A tough challenge waits for Bill Belichick  

No doubt, the 72-year-old HC with six Super Bowls under his belt walks and talks experience. The Tar Heels fans had seen enough. They just wanted to get rid of the mediocrity that plagued the program for most of Mack Brown’s second stint in Chapel Hill. In that case, Belichick comes off as the best option. However, here comes the dark reality of it.

Belichick has never coached in the college ranks in his long career associated with the sports. So college football analyst Stewart Mandel is not buying into the chances of the HC flipping North Carolina’s luck overnight. On that note, the program got a C grade for hiring Belichick, as skepticism rules high. In a recent piece for The Athletic, the analyst wrote, “I’ve been emphatic that the splashiest hire of the year was a bad idea. Rarely has an NFL hire found success in college, and six rings or not, Belichick is the most extreme example yet. I’m sure he’ll be phenomenal at the Xs and Os. But that’s such a small part of a college coach’s job.”

The biggest turn-off is going to be the age difference. There should be concerns about Bill Belichick connecting to such a young demographic. However, the HC has already proved his haters wrong who doubted that he would be left behind in the hectic recruiting race when he is fighting against younger coaches like Lane Kiffin and Dan Lanning. If Belichick can’t steer North Carolina to glory, he could be punching a long-term clock in the ACC grind.