The most anticipated coaching debut in college football has arrived: Welcome to the ‘Chapel Bill’ era of Bill Belichick leading North Carolina football.
First up for the six-time Super Bowl-winning coach will be a Power Four test against Sonny Dykes’ TCU Horned Frogs. The Tar Heels and the Horned Frogs are slated for an 8 p.m. ET primetime kickoff on Labor Day in Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
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Belichick, who has never coached a college football game in his illustrious coaching career, is the oldest active coach in the sport right now, at 73 years old. With more than 70 new players on the roster, the former New England Patriots coach is tasked with restoring a UNC program to winning ways after five consecutive bowl game losses. South Alabama transfer Gio Lopez was named as UNC’s starting quarterback for Week 1.
The Horned Frogs, meanwhile, are coming off a 9-4 season last year and return quarterback Josh Hoover, who earned All-Big 12 honors last year after throwing 27 touchdowns and nearly 4,000 yards.
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Pregame
UNC warming up ahead of season opener vs TCU
The Tar Heels have taken the field at Kenan Stadium for pregame warmups ahead of their season opener vs. TCU. As noted by ESPN sideliner reporter Holly Rowe, North Carolina players are wearing cutoff, sleeveless hoodies while warming up on the sidelines … a signature outfit that their new head coach, Bill Belichick, wore in the NFL with the New England Patriots.
Bill Belichick arrives for UNC debut
Bill Belichick, rocking what looks to be the Tar Heels’ warmup track suit, has arrived on UNC’s campus for the Old Well Walk pregame walk into the stadium.
Who is Freddie Kitchens?
Freddie Kitchens is in his first season serving as Bill Belichick’s offensive coordinator and tight ends coach in Chapel Hill.
The longtime NFL assistant and head coach served as the run game coordinator and tight ends coach for the Tar Heels under Mack Brown, and served as UNC’s interim head coach for its Fenway Bowl game vs. UConn in January during the coaching changes.
Who is UNC football’s quarterback in 2025?
South Alabama transfer Gio Lopez is UNC’s starting quarterback for Week 1 vs. TCU. The 6-foot quarterback was among one of the top quarterbacks at the Group of Five conference level last season, as he finished with 2,559 passing yards and 25 total touchdowns, seven of which were rushing touchdowns.
‘Gio has made a ton of progress. We have evaluated things through training camp. As (of) now, we get ready for TCU, he’ll be our starting quarterback. So we’ll give him a majority of the reps in practice and make sure we give him as much preparation as possible,’ UNC coach Bill Belichick said on Aug. 27.
Celebrities, VIP list for Bill Belichick’s UNC debut
Chapel Hill seems to be the place to be on Monday for Labor Day as a plethora of sports icons and UNC royalty are expected to be in attendance for Bill Belichick’s debut, including Michael Jordan, Mia Hamm, Lawrence Taylor and Julius Peppers.
Has Bill Belichick coached college football before?
No, Belichick has not coached a college football game before in his career. This means UNC’s season opener vs. TCU will be the first game he has coached in the college ranks.
Click here to read more on Belichick’s coaching career and history.
How old is Bill Belichick?
Bill Belichick turned 73 years old back in April.
Who did Bill Belichick replace at UNC?
Bill Belichick replaced Mack Brown in Chapel Hill as UNC’s head coach in December. Brown was told in November of 2024 that he would be not coming back from the 2025 season, which put a sour end to the sixth season in his second tenure with the Tar Heels.
What time does UNC vs TCU start?
- Date: Monday, Sept. 1
- Time: 8 p.m. ET
- Where: Kenan Stadium (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
The Week 1 matchup between UNC and TCU is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. ET on Monday, Sept. 1 from Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Watch UNC vs. TCU football live with Fubo (free trial)
What TV channel is UNC vs TCU on today?
- TV channel: ESPN
- Streaming: ESPN app | Fubo (free trial)
UNC vs. TCU will broadcast nationally on ESPN and ESPNU in Week 1 of the 2025 college football season. Rece Davis and Kirk Herbstreit will call the game from the booth at Kenan Stadium, with Holly Rowe reporting from the sidelines.
Streaming options include the ESPN app (with a TV login) and Fubo, which carries the ESPN family of networks and offers a free trial to new subscribers.
UNC-TCU predictions
- Rodd Baxley, The Fayetteville Observer: UNC 28, TCU 27
‘The ‘Chapel Bill’ era starts on Monday Night Football, with quarterback Josh Hoover and the Horned Frogs trying to build off a strong finish to the 2024 season. TCU is the safe pick because of its stability, but season openers have a tendency to be wacky. The Heels will build off the hype and start the season with a bang.’
North Carolina football schedule 2025
Here is UNC’s schedule for 2025:
- Monday, Sept. 1: vs. TCU | 8 p.m. ET | ESPN/ESPNU (Fubo)
- Saturday, Sept. 6: at Charlotte | 7 p.m. ET | ESPN+
- Saturday, Sept. 13: vs. Richmond | 3:30 p.m. ET
- Saturday, Sept. 20: at UCF
- Saturday, Sept. 27: BYE
- Saturday, Oct. 4: vs. No. 6 Clemson *
- Saturday, Oct. 11: BYE
- Friday, Oct. 17: at Cal * | 10:30 p.m. ET | ESPN (Fubo)
- Saturday, Oct. 25: vs. Virginia *
- Friday, Oct. 31: at Syracuse * | 7:30 p.m. ET | ESPN (Fubo)
- Saturday, Nov. 8: vs. Stanford *
- Saturday, Nov. 15: at Wake Forest *
- Saturday, Nov. 22: vs. Duke *
- Saturday, Nov. 29: at NC State *
* Denotes ACC game
TCU football schedule 2025
Here is TCU’s schedule:
- Monday, Sept. 1: vs. UNC | 8 p.m. ET | ESPN/ESPNU (Fubo)
- Saturday, Sept. 6: BYE
- Saturday, Sept. 13: Abilene Christian | 8 p.m. ET | ESPN+
- Saturday, Sept. 20: vs. No. 16 SMU
- Friday, Sept. 26: at No. 11 Arizona State * | 9 p.m. ET | Fox (Fubo)
- Saturday, Oct. 4: vs. Colorado *
- Saturday, Oct. 11: at No. 20 Kansas State *
- Saturday, Oct. 18: vs. Baylor *
- Saturday, Oct. 25: at West Virginia *
- Saturday, Nov. 1: BYE
- Saturday, Nov. 8: vs. No. 21 Iowa State *
- Saturday, Nov. 15: at BYU *
- Saturday, Nov. 22: at Houston *
- Saturday, Nov. 29: vs. Cincinnati *
* Denotes Big 12 game