Why Bill Belichick is already eager to take UNC football to Ireland in 2026
After the 2025 season, Bill Belichick and North Carolina football will be on to Dublin.
On Wednesday at the Kenan Football Center, University of North Carolina Chancellor Lee H. Roberts, athletics director Bubba Cunningham and Belichick joined Dublin’s Lord Mayor Emma Blain and several Irish officials to formally announce North Carolina’s 2026 season-opener against Texas Christian University in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium on August 29, 2026.
Roberts highlighted the university’s long-standing connections to Ireland — in 1794, the first presiding professor, David Kerr, was a graduate of Trinity College in Dublin, Roberts noted — and framed the trip as more than just a game.
“It gives our student‑athletes an opportunity to represent our university abroad,” Roberts said, later adding, “the relationship between Ireland, our university and our state as a whole is strong. It is an honor to add to that history today.”
Cunningham — a Notre Dame alum with “a little bit of Irish blood,” Roberts joked — thanked TCU for relinquishing home‑game rights so both programs could seize this “incredible opportunity.” He noted the growth of American football in Europe and reminded attendees that, before jetting off to Ireland in 2026, the Tar Heels have a much-anticipated 2025 season in Belichick’s first year with the program.
“I mean, we’ve already sold out season tickets for next year… I do think the success the program has had, the hiring of Bill Belichick — the timing of it was perfect,” Cunningham said.
Belichick’s typically reserved demeanor — even in spring drills where he won’t number players’ jerseys — gave way Wednesday to a noticeably more jovial side as he recounted his NFL experiences overseas.
Outside of his record 12 Super Bowl appearances, those international games were some of the most memorable of his career, Belichick said. He recounted trips to Mexico and Germany. Once in London, his team practiced on a cricket pitch — ”most of us didn’t know what cricket was,” Belichick quipped — and, later, set up cones for drills in London’s Hyde Park during the Patriots’ 2012 visit.
“It’s hard for student-athletes, football players to have those kinds of experiences… so this is very unique,” Belichick said. “We announced it to the team yesterday and there was just tremendous excitement.”
After a lighthearted sidestep to share an update on the UNC women’s lacrosse score in the ACC tournament— the Tar Heels were up by eight goals at halftime in the quarterfinals — Belichick returned to the podium to present John Anthony, a sports travel agency executive, with a custom North Carolina football jersey featuring “Ireland” on the back
For travel details and ticket information on the trip, fans are encouraged to visit TarHeels2Ireland.com.
This story was originally published April 23, 2025 at 1:48 PM with the headline "Why Bill Belichick is already eager to take UNC football to Ireland in 2026."