Bill Belichick has coached in 12 Super Bowls, won eight rings, and built a legacy that spans six decades. But come November, the Hall of Fame coach will be doing something that still feels a little surreal: leading North Carolina into Rentschler Field in East Hartford to face UConn.
Yes, that Bill Belichick. Hoodie, cut-off sleeves, and all.
The Tar Heels are scheduled to visit the Huskies on November 7, and assuming Belichick is still steering the ship in Chapel Hill, it’ll mark one of the most high-profile coaching appearances in UConn football history. It’s a matchup that no one saw coming when the series was originally inked back in 2020-long before anyone could’ve imagined Belichick trading Foxborough for the ACC.
Of course, his debut season at UNC didn’t exactly go as planned. A 4-8 campaign raised questions about whether the NFL legend would stick around in the college ranks. But if he’s still on the sideline come November, fans in East Hartford are in for a rare sight: one of football’s all-time masterminds calling plays at the Rent.
The last time these two programs met, UConn came out on top in the 2024 Fenway Bowl. That win was a statement for the Huskies, and while the rosters and coaching staffs have changed since then, the energy around this rematch will be electric. The Tar Heels haven’t played at UConn since 2009, and this one’s already shaping up to be one of the most anticipated games on the Huskies’ calendar.
That calendar, by the way, is full of intriguing matchups.
UConn opens its seven-game home slate on September 5 against Lafayette. A week later, they’ll welcome Big Ten opponent Maryland to East Hartford on September 12-a chance to measure themselves against a Power Five program early in the season.
Circle October 3: Syracuse comes to town in what should be a revenge game for UConn, who dropped a heartbreaker in overtime to the Orange last season. Then on October 24, it’s a rivalry renewed as UMass visits the Rent. That one always brings an edge.
November brings the heavy hitters. After the Belichick-led Tar Heels on the 7th, UConn hosts James Madison on November 14.
The Dukes are coming off a 12-2 season and a trip to the College Football Playoff. The last time these two met in 2023, JMU ran away with a 44-6 win.
The Huskies will be looking to flip that script in a big way.
The home schedule wraps on November 21 with Senior Day against Old Dominion-a chance to honor the program’s veterans and close out the regular season on their home turf.
The full 2026 schedule is still to come, but UConn fans already have plenty to look forward to. And if Belichick is still on the Tar Heels’ sideline this fall, Rentschler Field might just be the center of the college football universe-if only for one night.